Job Search Networking Meetings: When Do You Pull the Plug?

Here’s a job search networking question I get a lot: “Can I stop going to all those ‘networking’ meetings for job seekers? Aside from the fact I don’t know how to do an elevator pitch, and that’s usually part of the routine, I am spending a lot time in these meetings and usually leave depressed.”

I can relate to this question! When I started networking the first time I was looking for a job, I thought it was going to be pretty easy. After all, there were all these networking meeting and that must be how I would get a job. Otherwise why would they have them?

Of course I quickly figured out I probably wasn’t going to meet someone who could hire me at those meetings–everyone was looking for a job themselves. And any job openings that were mentioned, well, everyone else was hearing about them at the same time I was!

Then I thought maybe the value was the good job search advice I would get. There was some of that, but eventually I realized that, at least for me, there wasn’t enough value in the networking meetings full of other job seekers for me to justify my time investment.

Plus I have to admit that I usually felt pretty bad when I left those meetings. Everyone else seemed so “together” and to be doing so much in their search–much more than I was.

Of course maybe they were glossing things up a little–I certainly wasn’t being totally honest about how difficult my search was! Plus seeing all those people who might end up being my competitors for a position didn’t do much to lift my spirits either.

When I cut the tie to many of the networking meetings I was attending, it was scary. Every other job seeker I knew was attending several of these kinds of meetings. What was I going to do instead? Was I going to be left behind?

The Critical Criteria for Deciding to Attend or Skip Networking Meetings

Define what would make a meeting useful for you. What would be the reason to attend? What do you want to walk away with?

If you’re getting at least some of those things and you have the time for these meetings, great. If not, and especially if you leave a little discouraged as I did, then skip the meeting.

So for me, I decided that I would go to meetings where I would meet the kinds of people with whom I would like to have an ongoing relationship, meetings where I would meet people in a position to hire me, or meetings that would be fun.

And that’s how I formed my current network of fabulous people with whose help I got my last four jobs–jobs that weren’t even being advertised and one of which the hiring manager had given up even looking for someone.

It’s easy to think these hours are well spent, but be honest with yourself about: how you feel about the meeting, the value you get from each meeting, how much your job search is accelerated by attending.

So it can be scary to stop doing something everyone else seems to be doing. Maybe focus on different meetings for a while and see what happens. You can always go back to a job seeker meeting if you feel the urge. 

So pick someone to call, get your script out, and pick up the phone. Get your FREE scripts here.

Let me know how it is going, and never hesitate to give me a call if you have any questions.

Wishing you the best!

Katherine

And of course, be sure to get this interview guide. Use it and your next interview could be your last interview!