Networking

The coach in Jacksonville knew a coach in the Miami area that had just taken over a football program. Mark called him-they hit it off almost immediately. Mark flew down to Miami, interviewed, and was offered the job as Defensive Coordinator. He accepted, and he and his wife and 3 children are currently in the final stages of relocating to Florida. As an added bonus, this particular high school football program was one of the best in the entire country just a few short years ago.

From unemployment to the Defensive Coordinator of a premier high school football program that is on its way back to the top-all in a few short months. It simply took determination and a few phone calls. Networking can work wonders-just ask Mark.

Networking

I guess if I had given it some thought I would have known that this no-nonsense, ex-college linebacker would charge full-speed ahead with his job search. He got on the phone and started calling everyone he knew, just like I suggested. One of the guys he called was someone he had coached with in North Carolina. This individual didn't know of any openings;however, he gave Mark the phone number of his brother-in-law, who is a football coach who lives in Jacksonville, Florida. He encouraged Mark to call him, which Mark did. This is when the process got really interesting and kicked into high gear for Mark.....

Networking

I suggested that Mark accomplish one task right away -write down the names of every single person he knew-football coaches, friends, family members, people from his church, neighbors, his wife's friends-this was the beginning of his networking list. I have coached a lot of people over the years re. their job search. Compiling their networking list is always the first assignment I give to them. It is one of the most effective job search techniques.

Mark followed my advice-he "dove head-first" into this assignment. Not everyone I have worked with approached this assignment with the determination that Mark showed me.

Networking

An excellent example of how powerful networking can be is to review Mark's journey. Mark is a friend of mine who happens to be a high school football coach. Last fall he became the head football coach at a local high school. Mark was given the impossible task of turning around a woeful program in just one year. It did not happen. (No one could have done any better than he did.) His contract was not renewed. This was his first head coaching job. Previously, he had been a highly successful defensive coordinator for several years at another high school in the area.

He sought my advice regarding his job search. Mark is married with 3 small children and a mortgage, so he had a sense of urgency. He had to find another coaching job ASAP.....

Networking

The US economic news from today is a bit scary-the biggest one month surge in unemployment in over (20) years, and crude oil prices rose sharply during the last 2 days. Why do I mention this bad economic news? Because it emphasizes that in good economic times, and especially in uncertain economic times, you should always be networking. There is no guarantee that your job will be there tomorrow. I hope that it will be, the chances are good that it will be, but no position is guaranteed!

So what is networking? Dictionary.com defines it as "a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest." Networking should be a never-ending activity. For example, if you are in Human Resources, join the local SHRM Chapter. No matter what you do for a living, you should also consider getting involved with the local Chamber of Commerce. Volunteer to serve on a Chamber Committee. Help build houses for the poor via the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Contact the American Red Cross and ask how you can help. Let me be quick to add that when you volunteer in your community, your primary goal should be to help others. An added bonus is that when you volunteer, you get to know people in your local community that you would not otherwise ever meet. These folks then become part of your network.

Thanks for reading.