When you’re out of work, desperation lives right around the corner. You often feel the need to do everything in your power to rejoin the workforce, but pursuing a job too aggressively can turn you into something that US News calls a “network jerk”.
Image: Konstantin Chagin (Shutterstock).
This characterisation refers to the type of person who networks ever chance he or she gets so everyone knows he or she wants a job. While it’s important to let others know you are looking for a job so they can keep an eye out for an opportunity, when you’re meeting new people it’s not the first detail you want to drop. Doing so makes you seem impersonal and you can serve your interests better with genuine conversation. US News shares a few examples:
One of the easiest strategies is simply paying attention to the professional and personal interests of a contact, then starting a conversation or sending over resources that speak to those interests.
For example, if you wanted to tap a contact in marketing, start a dialogue around a Gartner study that suggests chief marketing officers will be investing more on tech than chief information officers by 2015. Or, if you discover your contact is a big Lakers fan, mention how impressed you’ve been with Kobe’s monster season. This will likely leave your network contacts feeling warmer and more positive toward you, exponentially increasing the chances that they’ll use their resources for your benefit.
While it may seem like common sense to avoid a self-serving nature when seeking a favour, it’s an easy thing to forget when you really need a job. While it’s good to aggressively pursue an opportunity, make sure you don’t squash one by coming across as a self-serving network jerk.
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