newcomers

Business people chatting during a networking event

I recently came across an interesting opinion on networking that might make many job seekers happy; Networking, as many employment professionals describe it, might not work for most.

Networking is the process of reaching out to professionals in your industry, that you may not know personally, in order to make connections and gain job referrals. And when I describe it to job seekers, I can see the concern on their faces – not everyone feels comfortable marketing themselves so directly to potential employers. Many candidates worry they are not qualified enough and are concerned their self-promotion may appear desperate.

The question is whether networking is worth the effort and time required to make it work. For many job seekers, it is well worth it. For others, the anxiety it provokes and its lack of short-term returns might turn a job search into a stressful process that causes avoidance and frustration.

The good news is that there isn’t just one way to find work. Keep in mind that the often-quoted “hidden job market” isn’t so hidden anymore. The vast majority of jobs are easily found online on job boards, social media and on company websites. Of course, having good network contacts can help a candidate stand out, but that often isn’t enough – candidates have to be able to compete equally with a highly talented pool of job seekers.

Here are some interesting insights from the New York Times:

Having a strong network cannot replace qualifications, experience and competitive skills.
“It’s true that networking can help you accomplish great things. But this obscures the opposite truth: Accomplishing great things helps you develop a network.” Networking tends to be more effective if you are already accomplished and have an established credibility in your professional circle.

Sustainability matters.
“Achievements don’t just help us make connections; they also help sustain those connections.” Networks need to be sustained, and that can only happen if your accomplishments are visible.

Connections have to be meaningful, not just plentiful.
”Networking alone leads to empty transactions, not rich relationships.” While it is a good idea to connect to as many people as possible, it is even more important to build your existing relationships and get to know your contacts.

Networking works much better if you already have recognizable achievements.
“It’s remarkably hard to engage with those people unless you’ve already put something valuable out into the world. That’s what piques the curiosity of advisers and sponsors. Achievements show you have something to give, not just something to take.” Share your achievements on your resume and on LinkedIn. It will make you a much more interesting to others and a valuable professional contact.

Networking cannot replace achievements.
“The best way to attract a mentor is to create something worthy of the mentor’s attention. Do something interesting, and instead of having to push your way in, you’ll get pulled in. The network comes to you.” Work on making an impact, whether it is in your volunteer work, your current interim job, or in a training course.

Access and opportunity do give certain people an unfair advantage.
It is important to acknowledge that networking is much more challenging for those who are new to a country or a career. In those situations, job seekers may have to rely on transferable skills to market themselves. “It’s dramatically easier to get credit for achievements…if your pedigree is full of fancy degrees and prestigious employers, and you come from a family with wealth and connections. But if you lack these status signals, it’s even more critical to produce a portfolio that proves your potential.”

It is key to work on recognizing and publicizing your achievements.
“Accomplishments can build your network only if other people are aware of them. You have to put your work out there. It shouldn’t be about promoting yourself, but about promoting your ideas. Evidence shows that tooting your own horn doesn’t help you get a job offer or a board seat, and when employees bend over backward to highlight their skills and accomplishments, they actually get paid less and promoted less. People find self-promotion so distasteful that they like you more when you’re praised by someone else — even if they know you’ve hired an agent to promote you.”

It’s not all about making connections. Focus on making an impact through interesting, innovative and impressive activities.
“The best networking happens when people gather for a purpose other than networking, to learn from one another or help one another.”

Dear Joanna

I am the HR manager of a large Information Technology company. We are working with JVS Toronto’s newcomer employment program that offers employers a two-month unpaid coop placement internships with insurance coverage for their clients who are internationally trained professionals from various fields, including IT.

I am interested in offering a placement to a couple of talented newcomers clients from this program. How do I facilitate an effective internship experience for these skilled new immigrants that will hopefully lead to full-time employment, if this works out for both sides?

Signed: Success Seeker

Dear Success Seeker,

Based on my observations and experience, I have identified the following seven criteria for a successful internship program, partly inspired by Nathan Parcelis’ (June 2014) insightful article, titled The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Intern Program:

1. Prepare a plan for “converting interns to hires”

Engage the candidate in your standard formal interview process to determine if the intern could turn into an employee. This pre-screening can do wonders later on to ensure a good fit with your team and culture, as well as identify if the candidate has the skills required.

2. Set clear learning goals, expectations and structure.

Make sure there is a formal contract/agreement indicating the learning goals of the student as well as the outcomes desired by the employer. The placement should be treated by the intern as a real job. Students should be encouraged to be transparent with their schedule. If he or she has a job interview or appointment, the supervisor should be advised. The hours and days should be indicated in the contract. If the intern has exams or school work, there should be accommodations for this too.

3. Create a structure. The best intern programs have a long-term focus and a structure.

The intern should have a job title, know their duties, roles and responsibilities are, and whom they can talk to when they have questions, to eliminate confusion. Give interns one or two overarching projects that will last the entire placement, and allow them to contribute something substantial to the team. Meanwhile, interns can be given smaller projects and tasks throughout the internship that help expand that their knowledge, expertise and exposure to their field.

4. Make sure the experience is relevant to the student’s career/employment goals and profession.

This might mean connecting the student with junior and senior managers, and the executives during their internship. Or it might mean instructing your managers to clearly connect the dots for interns on how their work fits into larger company and departmental goals.

5. Keep the intern involved.

Introduce the student to all staff members of the company. This would include an overview of routines and processes such as signing in and out, parking, file retrieval etc. Let the intern know your schedule. Make them feel wanted. Invite them to meetings, corporate events as well as social events. Interns should learn what it is like to be part of your company as well as to contribute to it. Nothing is more misleading than an internship that doesn’t accurately reflect the work environment of a full-time employee. Immersing interns in the company culture helps them make better decisions about long-term employment with your company.

6. Mentoring from within.

It is a very effective strategy to connect the student with a mentor in their department. It’s helpful for the new placement student to have a person to go to for problem solving, questions, intercultural communication issues, such as those experienced by newcomers to Canada. The mentor can take a supervisory role, as well.

7. Supervision.

Parcelis recommends that the supervisor and student meet formally at least three times during the placement. In my experience it can be more informal, as it depends on context, deadlines, work and the workplace culture. The most essential characteristic of good supervision is feedback on students’ performance including successes and growth areas. This is an integral part of their development and learning.

Feedback should come from the supervisor, and should be ongoing and frequent. In order to learn from mistakes students must be informed of them so they can be given the opportunity to correct them. Feedback should be honest, clear, immediate, direct and stated in understandable language.

Best wishes for your new Internship program. We look forward to working with you.

Joanna

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Is Networking overrated?

Here are some interesting insights from the New York Times:

Ask the Employment Specialist: Facilitating a Successful Internship

Joanna