I graduated from SUNY at Albany into perhaps the worst recession only second to the current one. I was an English major (and a Women's Studies minor by accident -- I wanted to take Sign Language 101 but they canceled the course at the last minute, so I took Women's Studies 101 instead).
I wanted to write for a living and there were no jobs available, much less a job where I could follow my bliss.
During my senior semester, I had the good fortune to get accepted into the New York State Assembly Internship Program 3 days before the deadline. My friend Portia, who was a Political Science major, encouraged me to apply because as she noted astutely, "The Legislature pays people to write." She had me at hello.
I lucked out with my internship assignment as well. The Program assigned me to the most liberal and curmudgeony member of the Assembly at the time (I feared briefly that my punishment for daring to be a Women's Studies minor would be an assignment working for a severely Conservative member), who also happened to be the Assemblyman from my home district. He owned one tie, a shiny yet stained polyester striped blue-and-gray number, that lived in his top desk drawer. He wore it grudgingly to the Assembly Chamber like a noose to conform with the dress code. He was brilliant, always ready for a good debate (or argument), anti-establishment, an avid birdwatcher and could conveniently give me a ride south on the weekends to see my family occasionally. We would often pull over on the shoulder of the Thruway to get a closer look at a hawk with the binoculars he kept in his car. Whenever I see a hawk today, (He passed a number of years ago), I think fondly of him.
The internship required 20 hours of work a week in the Assemblyman's office; in return, I received 15 credits and a $100 a week stipend. It was a great opportunity, even more than I knew at the time.
Shortly after I started the internship, the Assemblyman hired Nan to be his Staff Director. Nan was a natural-born connector, a great writer, and a lot of fun: to this day, she is one of the best managers I've ever had. I loved working for her, and I loved the work we all did together. Before I knew it, I was working 40 hours a week or more supporting the crazy hours of legislative session work, attending legislative receptions with Nan, meeting new people and having a great time.
As graduation neared and my internship was about to end, Nan asked me to work part-time through the end of the year (I also worked at Macy's part-time the rest of that year to approximate full-time work.) Nan, before the era of email, cell phones and the web, worked her network and helped me get a full-time job for the upcoming Legislative Session in another Assemblyman's office.
I was sad to leave Nan's employ, and touched at how she had championed me in a tough budget and economy with her network to get me a rare full-time Assembly Session job. "How can I ever thank you?" I asked her.
"By never saying 'no' when someone asks to network with you," she replied. "That will be thanks enough."
Nan created a calling with that request. As one friend recently noted, I collect people. I find people in general fascinating, and smart and talented people particularly engaging. I love matching up the latter vocationally and in business. Yes, I network and have a large network, both virtually and here in SmAlbany, because I'm a recruiter by trade and a saleswoman by DNA.
I have however experienced networking most authentically when I have something to give in the moment without expecting something in return. Now, the laws of networking are not like the laws of physics: for each "give," you do not necessarily receive an equal and opposite "get" from the person with whom you're networking.
Rather, it is approaching networking with a generosity of spirit: you're planting seeds that someday may (or may not) bloom into opportunity, you just can't predict the timing or the likelihood of that germination. When I offer my subject-matter expertise (SME) without solicitation and give away some of the crunchy nuggets that other potential business partners need when the moment presents itself, that's when I receive what I need, in the form of new clients, new jobs, new colleagues, new friends. And not necessarily from the person who receives my crunchy SME nuggets.
Interestingly enough, these SME nuggets planted in generosity of spirit also grow reputation: another critical networking building block.
During this last ride to the Recession Rodeo, when I was in search of both a new job and new clients as part of discovering the next enriching chapter of my vocational journey, I revved up my usual power networking schedule and presentation. As I coached my son Noah several weeks ago, my daddy always told me that if you make 30 calls and you got one "yes," you were doing great.
Daddy also set the bar high for prospecting: at least 10 calls a day, at least 1 face-to-face meeting a day. It's hard yet always satisfying work.
Sure, there are the occasional days when I prepare for a meeting feeling like a needy supplicant, wanting the person I'm scheduled to meet to be my Mommy and fix it all for me. Feh. I don't even want to meet with me on days like that. If I can't get going for myself, what useful purpose will I have for the decision-maker who made the time to meet with me? I take a page from the 12-Step rooms: I fake it 'til I make it. That is: I rely on what I know intellectually about what I have to give that nice decision-maker until my feelings catch up with the facts. And on those very rare days when I can't get it together, I know I need a break and take the necessary rest.
I also know I'm in the networking zone when about 50% of the meetings end up being about the decision-maker's agenda, and not mine.
However, I'm happy to say, my networking has evolved along with my subject-matter expertise. At the end of each phone call, each meeting, as part of offering my thanks, I also genuinely offer to be an ongoing resource to the person kind enough to have taken time to speak to me. It happened spontaneously early on in the latest discovery process, and the reaction was worth everything.
After a jovial meeting where my decision-maker contact made amusing fun of the HR profession in general, in parting I said: "If you ever need anything from me, even as a reality-check, please do not hesitate to contact me: no charge." From the look on his face, I could see that he was genuinely touched at my offer. "So Deb: if I have a weird HR situation, I can call you?"
Absolutely. I'm here for you.
Happy Hunting: Have a great week!
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