Job-search after 50 - Make your age an asset.

Many people believe that it is nearly impossible to find a job after 50, especially when the job market is bad. It might be difficult, but if you plan it well, your age and experience might well become your asset, and help you get a job more easily.

But how can you go about it?

Make the best of your experience. Older people generally have valuable skills in people management, leadership and problem-solving, among other things. You have to highlight these traits in yourself through what you say in your resume and your interview. You have to make your potential employer feel that you will be an asset not only because of your skills in the job, but also for these additional abilities.

Use your network. One of the major advantages that older job-seekers have is that they have a huge number of contacts and a well-established network. Spread the word amongst your contacts, and see if they know of any openings anywhere. Referrals work best, and if you have so far maintained a good reputation about the kind of worker you are, you won't find it difficult to get somebody to refer you for a job.

Search right. Though age-related discrimination is illegal, it certainly exists. So do your homework well. Look for those companies which value older people. For instance, some legal and financial service firms might have clients who prefer to deal with senior people, and your age and experience will be an asset to the firm. Similarly, some companies might prefer candidates who are ready to start work from the word go, and might not want to waste time training new recruits. On the other hand, there are startups which are populated entirely by young people straight out of college, where you just might not fit in. So, do research before you apply, instead of wasting your time.

Take stock of your requirements. Now that you are looking for a new job, ask yourself if there are things you want to change about your life. Would you want to venture into another field that you had always wanted to work in? Are you fed up of the commute, and would you not mind taking a salary cut if you could walk to work? Weigh your options. They might be different now, after all these years. And then look for a job accordingly.

Take a re-look at your attitude. Many people are daunted by the prospect of being interviewed by persons younger than themselves, or even by ending up working under young bosses. You might want to get a young friend to engage you in a mock-interview. In fact, it even helps if you apply for a job you are not interested in, so that you can have a practice interview, where you can assess the areas where you need some improvement, and then work on them. Besides, older people are assumed to be inflexible. Prove with examples that you are adaptable and are open to new ideas, technology and approaches.

Freshen-up your resume. If you have been working in the same company for a long time, chances are that your resume is not up-to-date. So spend some time working on it. Besides, resume trends change very quickly. So it is possible that what you think is fine is outdated as far as resumes go. In that case, it will help if you get professional help.

Concentrate on recent and relevant experience. In your resume, cover letter and interview, focus only on what you have done in the last ten years or so. Resist listing out everything you've ever done, and stick to only those points that portray well your skills and talent that is required for the job you are applying for.

Upgrade your skills. Many tend to consider older people outdated as far as new skills and technology goes. Don't give them the chance to say that in your case. Wherever possible, go in for training, or ask a colleague to help you get familiarized with new technology. Or take a refresher course, or get some help online. There are a number of avenues of learning in this era of the internet, like Coursera and Udacity.  Universities like MIT and Stanford also offer online learning options.  Here is another list of such universities.

So there you have it. Some of the major ways you can search for an appropriate job. And remember, any search take time. So the most important thing is – stick with it, and you will be sure of success!

"You're overqualified for the job"

Have you ever been told by a recruiter that you're "overqualified" for the job? That doesn't make too much sense, does it? Either you have the requisite skills and experience to do the job, or you don't. Then what does that word mean?

Many people believe that "you're overqualified" is just a euphemism for "you're too old." That could be one of the ways that "overqualified" is used, but it is definitely not the only way.

Very often, rejecting someone using this word is seen as the kindest thing to do, even when it is not actually the reason. The reason could be anything. Perhaps you are just not the right fit, or you rubbed someone the wrong way during the interview, or simply because the interviewer didn't quite like you.

On the other hand, there are lots of people who apply for jobs that need less experience than what they have. This could be due to a number of reasons. Perhaps the candidate is looking for a better work-life balance. Or perhaps he is exploring a new industry or domain. Or he might be looking at a different role in the industry and so is ready to start at a lower level than he was at. So is it fair to dismiss him with the "overqualified" tag?

But what stops people from hiring people they think are "overqualified" for the job? Some of the reasons are that they think:

1. She might get bored.
2. The salary is lesser than what she is getting.
3. She might be using this as a stepping stone to something else.
4. This might just be a temporary thing. She'll leave the moment she finds something better.
5. She might not be open to working under someone who is younger/less qualified than her.
6. She might prove to be my rival for promotions in the near future.

If you are applying for a job for which you might be considered overqualified, it helps to know what you could do to defend your application.

For example, if someone calls you overqualified, you could say, "How do you think my greater experience will affect my ability to do the job?" Then they will be forced to specify the reason they called you overqualified, after which you can address their concerns with confidence. You need to provide assurance that their fears are baseless, and explain why you are applying for this job even though it might seem like a let down after all the previous experience.

Or you could take their statement and convert it into something positive and say, "Yes! My greater number of years of experience and higher skills will mean that I might bring better value to the job!"

Another way to preempt the "overqualified" tag is through your cover letter. Mention only the relevant skills and experience you have for the job, and even in the interview, downplay your other degrees/skills/abilities (but don't hide them) and just stick to what is required for that job.

But if you are in the job search market, and if you are repeatedly hearing the "Overqualified" word, you might want to sit back, think about it, re-estimate your skills and what you are looking for, and reword your resume and cover letter based on what kind of job you are targeting. (Ask the experts!) In any case, don't let the "Overqualified" tag weigh you down!  

Body language - 20 things that will make a difference during an interview

One of the intangible factors that affect the outcome of your interview is how you appear to the interviewer. Your dress and personal grooming is only one aspect of it. More important is your posture, your stance, your body language. Unconsciously, we judge people on the basis of their posture and body language, and react accordingly.

Clearly, a person who looks more confident and more in charge is more likely to impress the interviewer, than a person who looks uncomfortable and unprepared.

Here are a few things you can do to look the part.

Before you enter the interview room:

1. Practice your posture. Head held high, chin up, back straight. When you walk or sit in this posture, you come across as confident.

2. Ensure that you have had a good night's sleep, and that you look fresh. There are some who believe that a good workout on the morning of the interview adds a healthy, alive glow to your face, and even makes you feel sprightly, adding to your overall positive body language.

3. Arrive early. Time your arrival right. You don't want to come rushing and panting into the interview room. Be sure to arrive at least ten minutes early, enough for you to catch your breath, check out your surroundings, and feel comfortable before you go into the interview room. But try not to arrive too early. You don't want boredom to show on your face from having waited too long.

4. Before you go to the interview, you might want to visit the restroom to make yourself comfortable.

5. Even while you are waiting for your turn, sit erect, shoulders straight. Breathe slowly and deeply, and smile a little. You will not only look calm and collected, but the good confident feeling will even trickle down into you.

Walking into the interview room, greeting, and sitting.

6. Walk into the interview room with firm steps, and a strong greeting. Do not shuffle, do not mumble. Be crisp and clear in your words and in your movements.

7. Let your handshake me firm and strong. Let go of your hand only after the interviewer lets go.

8. Sit straight. Sitting with your lower back pressed against the backrest of the chair ensures that you will not slouch. If the chair is too high and your legs dangle, then settle yourself such that your legs can be placed on the floor. But keep your back straight, and lean forward slightly. It is a sign of interest.

9. Don't stretch your legs, don't shake them, or tap them.

During the interview:

10. Make good eye-contact. Shifty eyes are very often seen as cowardly, unconfident and dishonest. But do not stare either. That can be intimidating

11. Don't touch your face, or your neck or your hair too often. They can be construed as signs of dishonesty, or disinterestedness.

12. Don't cross your arms in front of you. It is seen as a gesture of intimidation or defence.

13. Many people don't know what to do with their hands – keep them on the armchair? Place them on the lap? On the table? Relax, and do whatever comes naturally. Keep the hands free to make forceful gestures if needed. (But don't over-gesticulate.)

14. Smile often (at appropriate situations) throughout the interview. It not only makes the interview feel friendly and personal, it also tends to relax you.
    
    
15. Make yourself look interested.

16. Remember your manners.

17. Don't come across as too arrogant or overconfident, or a know-it-all. It is a great put-off.

18. If there is more than one person interviewing you, make sure you glance at all of them while you are speaking, with emphasis on the person whose questions you are answering.

After the interview:

19. After the interview is over, do not scramble to collect your belongings and leave. Rise unhurriedly, thank the interviewers, smile, and walk out at your own pace.

20. After you go out of the room, you might feel drained and want to slump into a seat, or you might be thrilled and might want to do a victory dance – but hold it until you are out of sight. There are many stories about how the interviewer caught sight of the candidate after he left the building and rejected him for his behavior much after the interview was over.

It is not very easy to get an opportunity for an interview – so when you've got it, make it count!

3 top tips for personal grooming in job interviews

We have all heard fascinating stories of how someone landed at a job interview with unwashed, crumpled clothes, but won the interview panel over with his brilliance and wit, or about that guy who went straight from a ball game to an interview with muddy clothes, and still managed to land the job. Some of these stories are undoubtedly true, but would you risk it yourself? Would you go to an interview dressed no less than your personal best?

Logically speaking, your appearance shouldn't matter, as long as you have the capability and the skills to get the job done. But practically, your appearance does influence what your interviewers think of you, and this is backed by undeniable statistics.

So does that mean you should invest in an expensive suit and splurge on a makeover before you attend that interview? Not at all. Here is what you can do to make your appearance impressive before you go to that interview.

Cleanliness and hygiene. This aspect of your appearance cannot be stressed enough. Before you go for the interview, eliminate everything about personal body hygiene that usually puts people off.

• Take a shower, wear fresh clothes.
• Brush your teeth.
• If you are a smoker, you might want to avoid smoking for several hours before the interview, and pop a breath mint into your mouth a few minutes before the interview.
• Ensure you do not smell of alcohol, or anything unpleasant.
• Make sure your nails are clean and clipped.
• Wear clothes that are ironed and washed, and see that your shoes are clean.
• If you have eaten something before the interview, you might want to check if something is stuck in your teeth, because that can be really distracting for the interviewers!
• Ensure that your hair is combed, or arranged neatly.
  
  
  Clothes. The kind of clothes you wear will depend on your geographical location, and the kind of job you are applying for, so there is no hard and fast rule for what you should wear.

• The thumb rule is to go for clothes that are usually considered formal in your culture. Don't make it too formal, though.
• This is not the place to display how tuned-in you are to the current fashion. Stick to being conservative in your dressing.
• It would be a good idea to wear subdued colours.
• You don't need to spend unnecessarily on expensive clothes for the interview. Anything that is neat, clean, and not scruffy should work quite well.
• Wear something comfortable, preferably something you have worn before, an outfit that you know you are comfortable in. You wouldn't want to be thinking of your clothes – that this shirt is pinching you in the armpit, or that those trousers are so tight that you cannot breathe, instead of focusing on the interview.
  
  
  Accessories:

• Shoes – These should be clean, and well-polished, and preferably, shouldn't make too much noise when you are walking
• Keep a minimum of things with you – a folder with relevant documents – not too fat, just enough to hold whatever you need. A simple handbag or purse, and that is enough. If you happen to have more bags for any reason, you could leave them outside at the reception. Avoid lugging too many things into the interview.
• If you must wear perfume or deodorant, ensure that it is mild and not overpowering. You don't want the interview room smelling off you even after you've left - That's not how you want the interviewers to remember you!
• Don't wear too much or too flashy jewellery.
• Makeup should be kept to a minimum.
• Carry a clean handkerchief with you, just in case you need it for any reason.

Perhaps the best boost to your overall appearance is a confident posture and positive body language, and we'll talk about that in the next post.

10 things to do before quitting your job

If you have decided that things are not going too well at your current job, and that you want to quit, it will help to make sure that exit goes as smoothly as possible, and that you leave on an elegant note. Here are some things you should think of before you quit, and while you are in the process of quitting.

1. Talk to your boss: If things aren't suitable for you in your current job, try talking to your boss first to see if anything can be done about it. If she doesn't know that you aren't happy, she cannot help, can she? See if any change can be made to the current situation. Remember, the grass always seems to be greener on the other side, and so you first need to ascertain that the grass is truly not green any longer on your side of the fence, before you think of making the jump.
2. Consider internal options: Sometimes, there are quite a few opportunities for change within the company. Very few people consider changing within the organization. Talk to your colleagues in different departments, or make appointments with heads of other divisions, and talk to them. You might be surprised to find a great opportunity lurking somewhere right inside your own company.
3. Keep your job search discreet. If you decide to go ahead and look for another job anyway, then you should know how to keep your job search a secret from your current employers.
4. Don't quit until you are sure that the other job offer is official. There are times when you might have to quit suddenly, without the luxury of another job waiting for you. But as far as you can help it, make sure that you do have a job on hand before you quit your current job. Preferably, ensure that you have the official letter, from your new employer, and not just verbal assurances. Only then, hand in your resignation.
5. Give plenty of notice before you quit. Even if it is not in the contract, you have an obligation to finish your work, and tie up the threads before you leave. It will also give a chance for your current employers to hire a replacement. This should not be a problem with your new employer if you explain that you need to finish your work before quitting. It might work in your favour if they see that you are loyal, and sincere about your work. Also, if possible, get in a week or two between the time you quit and the day you start your new job – go on a vacation or just relax, clear your mind and then start the next job invigorated.
6. Don't get lured by counter-offers: There is going to be an exit interview, and you might be enticed with offers of a higher salary and more responsibility, but these offers are usually not followed upon. Also, if you choose to stay after this, you will always be the guy who wanted to leave, and that might not be a very good thing for your career.
7. Train your replacement: If a replacement has been hired before you leave, you owe it to yourself and the company to enable a smooth transition. Use a little of your time to make sure she understands what you are leaving behind. You don't want her to curse you behind your back after you leave, about what a mess you left for her to clear.
8. Be honest, but nice, in the exit interview. The exit interview is the perfect place for employers to see what can be improved in the organization, and you have to be honest and truthful about your experiences. But even if you are leaving on a bitter note, try and temper the tone of your negative feedback. It can be tempting to lash out and vent your frustrations, but that will only belittle you, and you want to exit as gracefully as you can, don't you?
9. Settle old conflicts. You might have old enemies or rivals who you want to pull down a notch or two before you leave. But what good will this show of ego do to you, except a temporary feeling of victory? Leave on a good note – if possible, iron wrinkles in relationships before you leave, through a nice note, or a friendly word. That way, you might gain allies for the development of your future career!
10. Keep in touch with colleagues: Before you leave, ensure that you have all the contact details of your friends and colleagues throughout the organization. Keep in touch with them through phone, mail or social networks, and make sure that they are aware of your progress over the years. They can turn out to be valuable contacts sometime in the future.

Leaving a place where you've invested so much of your life is never easy. But it can be smoothened a bit if you follow these tips!

10 ways to keep your job search a secret!

So you are looking to change your job, and you want to start the job-hunt? Wait. There's something very important that you've got to consider. How will you keep this a secret from your current employers?

After all, you've got to be discreet about the fact that you're looking for a new job. Managers frequently don't look too kindly upon an employee who is planning to leave. He might get passed up for good projects, promotions or bonuses. Besides, he could be suspected of trying to steal confidential information. Even if nothing, an employee who is leaving is bound to get treated a little differently.

So how do you keep your job search a secret? Here are a few tips.

1. Do not use your work email for job hunting.
2. Do not use work resources – This is common sense, but it is amazing how many people don't realize this simple thing. Don't use the company's computers, phone, fax, or any other resource to send or receive messages, or conduct searches.
3. Do it on your personal time – Avoid taking calls, telephonic interviews, or scheduling interviews during working hours. Try to do it on a weekend, during lunch hours, or after office hours. If it is inevitable, you might have to take a day off, but do it with discretion. Take too many days off without any obvious reasons, and alarm bells will start ringing.
   Talk to your prospective employer about scheduling your interviews after office hours. Not only will they understand, they will also appreciate your respect for your current work.
4. If you have no other go, and if you need to take that telephone interview during office hours, then you must have a plausible explanation for being missing from your desk. Try and get your work finished beforehand, and tell somebody you are stepping out on personal business, so that you are not missed. If you have to run out for an interview during office hours, you might have to come to work in formal attire. And if that is not very common for you, if you are usually dressed casually, then your clothes will definitely draw attention. You might want to start dressing well every day while you are on the job hunt, or else, you might want to take a day off, or else you will have to go somewhere to change quickly. Or else, have a good reason ready about why you are dressed like you are.
5. Keep your silence on social networks. Job hunters have never had it better – the unlimited resources and opportunities the internet provides for job-hunting is immense. But the downside is that the word can get around quickly that you are job hunting, if you are not carefully. Even if you are quiet on Facebook, uploading your resume suddenly on LinkedIn can be a hint. So watch what you do or say online
6. Confide in a trusted friend or colleague. - Telling a friend or a colleague about your job search will help in several ways. She might help provide contacts or leads, and she might pitch in for you, and get your back, if you are suddenly pulled away on something connected to your job search..
7. Select references carefully – If the prospective employer asks for references, you can't very well give your current boss's details. You might have to think of someone from a previous job, or a colleague in the present job who you are close to and can trust
8. Don't tell your boss about your job search – even if you decide to tell a few colleagues about your job search, don't tell your boss until you are really friendly, and she is sympathetic to your situation.
9. Be careful during online searches.

• If you are sending your resume to a job opening online, try and find out the name of the company before you send it. Ask your HR which sites they use to advertise jobs, and you would do well to avoid them. After all, you wouldn't want to end up sending your resume to your current boss!
• Remove names and identifiers while uploading resume on sites.
• Don't use company names in the resume. For example, you might use "working for a leading software outsourcing industry" instead of mentioning the name. This way, you maintain a level of anonymity.

10. Keep up with your workoad, and do not slack off, just because you know you might be leaving. It can be a sure sign that something is amiss.

Not too hard, is it? Now go get that job!

The value of Thank You letters.

Following up on the status of your application is very important in any hiring process. Similarly, sending a well-written thank you letter after an interview is another way in which you can make a positive difference to your job prospects.

But it comes at a risk. If your letter contains even a single error, or if its tone is wrong, then it could actually set you back!

But since statistics show that less than 10 percent of candidates actually bother to send a Thank-you letter, the possibility is quite high of your being at an advantage if you do send a good one.

A Thank-you letter is best sent within 24 or 48 hours after the interview.  It has three major benefits –

1. It helps keeps your name at the top
2. It portrays you as professional and courteous
3. It shows that you really are interested in the job.

Things to remember about Thank-you notes:

1. Send thank-you letters both after personal and phone interviews.
2. Send a note to each interviewer, if possible. Some might prefer hand-written notes, but an email will do nicely. Besides, it is fast, and the sooner you say Thank you, the better!
3. Thank the interviewer for his time.
4. You could lightly touch upon something in the interview that went well. This will help recreate in the interviewer's mind, that sense of satisfaction about your candidature. This might also help in jogging the interviewer's memory about who exactly you are, especially if there were many candidates for the position!
5. You could use this letter to patch up any damage that was done in the interview.
6. Mention anything you might have wanted to say during the interview, but did not.
7. Mention something about the interview process, or something about the company work ethics that you noticed and appreciated.
8. Send information that you might have been asked to provide during the interview.
9. Tell them again that you are interested in this job.
10. Say that you will be available for further interviews, and that are looking forward to talking to them again.
11. Keep it short and simple
12. As with all such business letters, make sure it is free of errors.

This site has some more helpful information about Thank-you notes.

Just a few minutes of your time can set you apart from your competitors – take advantage of that, and write that Thank you note!

The importance of follow-up letters.

You have sent a company your resume and cover letter, it has been a week or two, and you haven't heard back from them. Is there anything else you can do apart from twiddling your thumbs and waiting? Actually, there is. You can send a follow-up letter.

Typically, a follow-up letter is sent between 1 or 2 weeks after you send in your resume, if you haven't heard from them yet.

This serves two major purposes.

1. It jogs the memory of the recruiter, in case your resume has got lost in the pile.
2. It shows your enthusiasm and your ambition, and that you are seriously interested in this job.

You could also make a follow-up phone call, but that can be a little dicey. On one hand, you will probably get an instant reply,. But on the other hand, a call is more intrusive or pushy than an email. An email can serve to remind the person gently, whereas a call can catch a busy person at the wrong time, and you wouldn't want that, especially if she has been getting calls repeatedly from all candidates asking for the status of the application!

There are some recruiters who feel that a follow-up email or call isn't necessary at all. But it depends upon you – are you willing to take that extra time and effort for a follow-up? Is the job worth it? It is your call. But of course, there are a number of instances where a person has got the job mainly because he stayed on its case!

Here are some guidelines on how to write the right follow-up letter:

1. Mention your name and the position for which you sent in your application.
2. Ask politely about the status of the application, or whether all the candidates will be contacted. You could also ask what the next step is in the hiring process.
3. If there have been changes in your career, or if you have received the results of an examination during this time, or if you want to add some more information, then this is your opportunity to convey what you want to.
4. You could also ask them to contact you if they need some more information.
5. Reiterate that you are interested in the job.
6. Keep it short.
7. If you don't hear from them even after this follow-up letter, you might want to consider giving up. But if you feel that you are a strong contender for the job, then you will probably not lose anything by sending another letter in another two weeks, but you probably should draw a line at that!

A follow-up letter is also an excellent opportunity for additional contact after you have met someone in a business meeting or at a networking event. If you had not been looking for jobs at the time you met that contact, you can now mail, reconnect and tell him about the developments in your career, and then sound him about job availabilities.

This kind of a follow-up letter needs to have these elements:

1. Show that you remember and appreciate your first meeting.
2. Tell them about developments in your career, and that you are now looking for a job.
3. Tell them exactly what help you require from them.

Also, if you have spoken to a contact over the phone about a job opportunity, it is a good idea to send a follow-up letter after the call, which sums up everything that you spoke about, and takes it forward from there. If you send your resume along with this letter, and also provide additional details about yourself in writing, it will help the other proceed with aiding you in your job search.

The rules of a follow-up letter are the same as those of other business letter. It has to be short, polite, and free from errors. Most importantly, in the case of follow-up letters, you must get the tone right – avoid sounding pushy and complaining, and remain positive. If you are stumped, get help!

Been laid-off? Here's what to put on your resume.

Getting laid off or retrenched is more common in today's economy than you think. And consequently, employers are also more lenient in hiring laid off workers, because everybody now understands that a layoff has nothing to do with the talents or abilities, or reliability of a person.

But the question is, how do you address this on your resume?

Reasons for leaving are not mentioned on a resume.

A resume is a document that showcases your skills and abilities, and there is really no place for details on why and how you left a job. So, there is no need to mention that you were laid off.

But, on the other hand, don't hide it either. If you worked at that job from March 2010 to April 2012, then resist the urge to put in "March 2010 to present." That would be a lie. Instead, put in "March 2010 to April 2012." You can do the explaining in the cover letter.

Put in details of a temporary job.

After you were retrenched, if you took on some other temporary job, say consulting, or freelance work, then put that in as a filler, hence accounting for your work till the present date. But ensure that it is legitimate work, and connected to your job. It is okay even if it is voluntary work, a non-paying job – the fact that you've not been idle will work to your advantage.

Explain in the cover letter.

Use the cover letter to tell the employer about your being laid off. You could use words like, "As you might have heard, Company X was taken over by Company Y and a number of jobs were eliminated, mine among them. It was a difficult time for me, especially because my performance at Company X has always been rated excellent. But I look forward to maintaining my track record in the next company too."

Highlight your accomplishments.

Use your resume to really show what you've got. Use it to your best advantage. Here is where it helps to update your resume regularly. It is not as easy to sound confident on the resume if you are feeling low after you lost your job.

Get references from your seniors in the previous job.

If your performance has truly been good, nobody is going to grudge you a glowing reference letter. These are very important for your landing a new job, since they come from the very people who have been forced to eliminate your job.

Attitude is the key.

If you are angry about what happened to you, it is natural. Take some time off if you need it, but do brush it off. Sound positive, and confident. Most employers take a lenient view of retrenched employees, and your positive attitude will help you be noticed, especially if your credentials are rock-solid.

Being laid-off isn't as much of a taboo as it was before. So you don't have much to worry about. There are enough instances of people landing better jobs after they have been retrenched. For all you know, this might be a blessing in disguise for you. So go, get it!

15 pointers to effective networking for job-seekers

Career networking is one of the most important tools when you are looking for a job. But it is very easy to go wrong when you are trying to network, and then, your mistakes can really pull you down.

So here are a few pointers to get you started.

• Understand why networking is important. Only a small fraction of jobs available are actually advertised. All the others are only filled by personal recommendations, and word-to-mouth information. Having a large network helps you get to know about the existence of these jobs.
• Identify potential opportunities to network – office colleagues, ex-colleagues, social networking sites, alumni associations, professional organizations – and work systematically to establish yourself in all these places. When you start gaining contacts, list them or organize them in a database, or whatever works best for you.
• Be active on a professional social network like LinkedIn
• Join a professional organization that is related to your field. This is a great place to meet people who matter in your career
• Always keep copies of your resume handy. And try not to run out of business cards. You never know whom you will meet, and where.
• Remember that professional networking is not all about receiving. Giving is equally, if not more important. If you surface only when you need something, and then vanish again after your work is done, you will lose credibility.
• Whenever you meet new contacts, first make a personal connection. It matters a great deal. Find something common to talk about, or just ask inquire about the other person. And then go on to professional matters.
• Talk less, listen more.
• Don't sound desperate, even if you are. Maintain your cool, and sound confident. People are more likely to help those who look like they know what they are doing.
• Don't hesitate to ask for help. People are by nature generally kind, and really want to help. Besides, it makes them feel important.
• Respect boundaries. Don't spam people incessantly with your mails, or don't call them at odd hours.
• Use correct personal, email and phone etiquette.
• When Person A has recommended you, or forwarded your resume to Person B, keep Person A informed about the developments. That way, Person A will know that you are serious, and that you respect what he has done for you.
• If you do land a job, then make sure to thank everybody who was directly or indirectly responsible for it. A phone call is nice, but a written thank-you is far better. Your courtesy and manners will not go unnoticed.
• After you get a job, don't disappear. Remain active in the network. You might be of help to somebody else. Besides you never know when you will need them again!

So get networking!