A reader writes:
I’ve a networking/suggestions query. My firm’s been acquired and I’m fearful about impending layoffs. I’ve been occupied with a return to grad college anyhow so perhaps that is the push I wanted, however will nonetheless want a brand new job earlier than then. My LinkedIn is a bit naked, however I’m a tough employee and fairly sociable, so I feel a lot of my previous colleagues would have good issues to say. How do you advocate reaching out to former colleages and managers for issues like LinkedIn critiques or a grad college letter of advice?
Do you advocate a chilly textual content/e mail that features some pleasantries however will get straight to the purpose about asking for a favor? Ought to I overview them on LinkedIn first then ship a message asking for the favor to be returned? These really feel a bit transactional to me although. Do I ask if we are able to do a catch-up name after which disclose the ask (referral letter) on the decision — which feels a bit slimy just like the subtext is I solely needed to catch as much as ask for the favor?
And may the tactic change when you’ve labored with them lately — round six months in the past? Versus if it’s been a 12 months or extra? And on the matter, how lengthy is simply too lengthy to ask for a LinkedIn overview when you haven’t saved in touch?
Sorry for all of the questions, however networking typically looks like a minefield and I all the time overthink it!
First issues first: don’t put a ton of capital or effort into getting LinkedIn suggestions. They don’t carry any actual weight. You’re significantly better off asking contacts for different kinds of assist, like job leads (or references once you’re at that stage).
Subsequent, it’s utterly regular to let lengthy stretches of time go by with out speaking with folks you used to work with after which contact them out of the blue when one thing job-related comes up. This isn’t impolite! It’s how folks usually do it. These aren’t social relationships, the place it could be impolite to disregard somebody for a 12 months after which ask them that can assist you transfer out of your house. These are work relationships, that are ruled by totally different etiquette.
You do not want to fake that you’re contacting folks to catch up after which slip within the request as soon as they’re speaking to you. In actual fact, doing that can come throughout as insincere and is extra prone to annoy individuals who would somewhat minimize to the chase and discover out what you’re actually contacting them for.
So, sure — a textual content or e mail that features some transient pleasantries however will get pretty shortly to the purpose about what you wish to ask. That’s true whether or not it’s been six months or two years. If it’s nearer to the 2 years finish of issues, you’ll wish to embrace a bit about what you’ve been as much as and in addition ask about them, however the primary format is similar. How lengthy could be “too lengthy” is a judgment name, but it surely’s in all probability for much longer than you assume and it is determined by what you’re asking for. If somebody I labored with 10 years in the past contacted me for a reference now, usually it could really feel too way back to have the ability to present the form of nuanced data that’s really helpful … but it surely wouldn’t be too lengthy for different forms of requests, like “I’m tremendous concerned about Org X, noticed you labored for them some time again, and marvel what you already know about what they search for in llama analysts.”
Additionally, since you sound somewhat nervous about the entire thing, keep in mind that with networking, the belief is all the time that there could also be alternative for give-and-take. You’re asking for a favor now, however they know they is perhaps asking you for a favor in a 12 months. Persons are motivated to keep up these types of relationships partly as a result of they go each methods, and it advantages them so that you can assume warmly of them and have good will towards them. Clearly when you by no means come by for them after they strategy you, their notion of that can change — however typically enterprise networking is based on an assumption of mutual good will, heat, and a want to help, inside cause.