Networking is so important in your job search. But it's easy to lose enthusiasm for it. As part of your networking strategy, you should identify events to attend that offer opportunities to meet a lot of people in one place. You can network intensely for a few hours and come away with quite a few new connections. What kind of events?Job Fairs, Industry Conferences, Trade Shows are a few examples.
Pick an event where the content interests you so you can circulate and meet people to discuss the field and you won’t be obvious that you are just there to try to find a job. Show an interest in a company and try to get a chance to follow up with some of the people you meet. If you go to a computer software event, seek out people and companies that have an interest in the technical expertise you have. If you like to write Java code, then hang out at company booths that use Java. Talk shop and show your knowledge.
If you’re a business development manager then look for senior level managers where you can meet people who may share information on which companies are thriving and what their strategies are.
Career Fairs can be disillusioning these days. Many report to me that the best companies don’t feel that they have to utilize these events. Nevertheless, it’s worth checking into them. If you see a Career Fair promoted in the newspaper or online, you can often see a list of the companies planning to attend. Again, these events offer you a chance to network. If nothing else, you should come away with some connections at companies where you previously had none.
Add these connections to your database. Follow up with these new contacts by having lunch or coffee, and see what can happen.