A former colleague reached out to me a few weeks ago. She wanted to catch up. We didn’t work that closely together, but I always enjoyed our conversations. Plus, I’m a friendly puppy who likes to chat. So, I decided to grab coffee with her.
Within minutes of us taking the first sips of our lattes and Earl Grays, she said she was looking for a new job. Her company had gone through a restructuring a few years earlier and she was forced into a role that wasn’t quite her.
At first, she’d been a good soldier and done the work diligently. Yet, in time, she’d realized she was a square peg in a round hole. She needed a change and wanted to return to the career space from which she was ejected.
Company leadership had reassured her that there was hope. She could return to the work she found most rewarding. It would just take a little time. However, a leadership change put someone she didn’t have a firm relationship with in charge. The new leader had different priorities and didn’t have room on the team for my former colleague.
So she took a package. She parted ways with her work home, a place she’d spent nearly two decades cutting her teeth, building friendships, and becoming an expert in her field.
Having been in her shoes, I asked, “How can I help you? Why did you think of me?” I didn’t know if I could or couldn’t be of aid in her time of need. I just wanted to make it a little easier for her to get on the path to what’s next.
Are you in Career Vegas?
Then, she said something interesting. She said, and I don’t have this verbatim, but you’ll get the gist, “Careers can be like Vegas. You lose track of time and direction.”
She is completely correct. It’s so easy to get lost. It’s even easier to forget what time it is and be unable to find a clock. Like Vegas, the company focuses us on what is in their best interest, not necessarily what’s in our own best interest. This is all well and good when we are both winning.
However, the moment the odds turn out of your favor, the relationship can unravel. Very quickly you can get fleeced by a charming one armed bandit with flashy lights. You think you can win the game, but in reality, the odds are stacked in the company’s favor. They control the game.
Networking Exposes You to More Options
This Vegas analogy led us to why she wanted to meet with me: networking. A friend of hers suggested she connect with me, not because I have all the answers. I don’t. Rather, I have a diverse network that spans a number of industries and company types. She did not. At a minimum, I could connect her with someone who might have a job.
I thought of at least one person and one network she should connect with. She talked about the futility of applying to jobs online. The LinkedIn “Easy Button” is anything but. She went further into how networking skills are not readily taught or encouraged by employers. We must choose to become good networkers, to focus our gaze outward while we stay present in the gig that pays the bills.
I encouraged her that in networking, she’s doing the right thing. While you feel like applying to jobs is getting things done, it isn’t. Your odds of landing that choice Director of Marketing gig at Hulu are pretty slim, unless you know the right person. Applying to it blind is like playing the lotto, the chances are slim.
Perspective from an Executive Recruiter
Which brings me to an additional conversation I had recently with a friend who’s an Executive Recruiter last week. She and I were talking about the most important skill most people let languish: our social connectedness.
It’s understandable. We all have lives to live. We have kids to raise. We have friendships to feed. We have partners to prioritize.
Yet, if you want to maximize your opportunities for adventure, then build your network consistently. You’ll find ways to connect with people. You’ll keep meaningful notes. You’ll stay connected. This sounds like a lot of work. In some respects, it is. Trust me, it’ll pay off.
Embrace a CRM for Your Career
My executive recruiter friend and I then discussed how everyone should have a personal customer relationship management system. You need a method and a place to stay on top of the relationships that are most worthy of nurturing.
She and I both have such a system. She uses a simple Google Sheet. It has the person’s name, the last time they connected, meaningful notes or things to remember, and any simple actions or help she can provide for the person. Pretty simple, right?
I use Hubspot, most of the time. Hubspot has a free version that allows you to connect it directly to your email. You can enter notes about your conversation, tasks to complete, and reminders for when to reach out again. I only started using this approach to make sure I didn’t drop the ball on important relationships. If I say I plan to help, I want to make sure I follow through with action.
In summary, it’s easy to get lost in time, to spend five, ten, fifteen years, or more in a space only to feel the shock of the sun when you go outside. Building on the Vegas analogy, ensuring you keep tabs on what is going on outside of your present casino is critical. This requires windows into other worlds. Making a commitment to network and using a personal CRM is one great way to ensure your chosen casino has windows that bring in the light.
Thanks for reading! Happy Labor Day!
Paul G. Fisher