Networking Can Be as Comfortable as Having a Garage Sale

When I hear someone say, “I hate networking,” I wonder why anyone would dislike something that offers many benefits, most notably more job and business opportunities, broader knowledge, faster career advancement, and higher status. 

Generally, people who make networking a daily habit have an easier time finding employment.

Whatever your reasons for disliking networking, which comes down to socializing in professional settings, here is a tip to overcome your mental obstacle to networking. (READ: change your mindset)

Four years ago, I held a garage sale to sell most of the contents of my parent’s home, which they had lived in for 43 years, in preparation for their move to a retirement community. The objective was not to make money but to get rid of 43 years of accumulated stuff. My thinking: It would be much easier to have people pay my parents to take their no longer-needed stuff away than to pay someone to do it. 

The things sold at the garage sale were no longer valuable to my parents. I did not even bother pricing each item. The value of my time outweighed trying to determine a price for each item, so I stood in the driveway and made-up prices. I sold most items for a couple of dollars; most I just gave away. Compared to the items, the small amount of money my parents received was more valuable to them. On the other hand, the item was more valuable to the person who bought it for two bucks. 

Hence, on a summer Saturday morning, I stood in my parent’s driveway, creating value from nothing, which surprisingly felt good. All around me, I was witnessing the truth to the adage, “Value is in the eye of the beholder.” This got me thinking about how this adage applies to networking.

Give away everything you have to offer!

You have a lot more to offer than you realize.

• Ideas
• Advice.
• Experiences you have had and the lessons you learned.  
• Recommendations (e.g., books, blogs, movies)
• An introduction to someone capable of helping.

There are many reasons people do not network. “Networking feels awkward,” or “I don’t want to ask people for anything.” 

Whenever someone says this, my response is: “Give first. Give to the other person, and networking will feel better.” 

During a conversation, listen to what the other person is working on or their challenges, and offer whatever help you can. Simply put, when meeting someone for the first time, ask yourself, “How can I help this person?”

Asking yourself this question will help you feel less awkward when you first meet someone. You feel more relaxed about how the conversation will proceed when you approach it with the expectation of being of assistance.

Your knowledge, experience, and way of thinking are unique. The collection you have in your head is one-of-a-kind. Like my parents, having accumulated stuff for 43 years, you have accumulated your collection simply by being alive. 

We often take for granted the experiences, knowledge, and many of our relationships because we believe that if they are not valuable to us, they are not valuable to others. This would be a wrong assumption. Nobody knows what you know, and nobody knows it like you do.

Chances are: 

• With so many people wanting to pivot their careers, your experience in an industry or field would be valuable to someone looking to pivot into the industry or field you are familiar with.   
• You are an SME (Subject Matter Expert) in a few subject areas.
• You have a unique point of view about a widespread challenge facing your profession.
• You have overcome the pain points of the person you are speaking with or know someone who has. (You have been there, done that.) 

You have all this to offer and much more—give it all away! 

When I started sharing my behind-the-scenes hiring process stories via this column, The Art of Finding Work, it connected with many people. Not because they had similar experiences to mine but because they gravitated toward what I had to offer; unsweetened job search advice from the trenches. 

My corporate world journey—still ongoing—as a hiring manager is unique to me. However, I believe the lessons I learned and, more importantly, the observations I made along the way can be helpful to job seekers. 

If I kept my experiences, observations, and lessons to myself, they would not be valuable to the millions seeking job search advice, hence this weekly column you are reading. I have already lived and learned from the lessons I write about. Thus, their value to me is in the past, like the stuff my parents bought 20, 30, 40 years ago was valuable to them then but not at the time of the garage sale. However, when I write about my experience and observations and the lessons I learned and share them with my readers, I give them value.  

The next time you meet someone, imagine yourself having a mental garage sale, giving away your knowledge and experience, and offering to connect them with people you know. It will feel good, I promise. 

_________________________________________________________ Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com