According
to the Harvard Business School, 65% – 85% of all jobs are found through
networking, a time-honoured tradition that most people apply every day
without knowing it. It’s simply interaction that allows us to pass
information from one source to another. Sometimes we need information
and sometimes we have information to pass on. The population of the
world has just topped 7 billion, so why not build a team of people to
help you with your job search? Welcome to Networking in Canada 101.
Instead,
fear drives us to think that we should avoid walking into a room full
of strangers, reject the idle chitchat about weather over appetizers and
neglect the opportunity to meet new people. Why do we make excuses? Are
we afraid of feeling out of place while developing a new skill in
public? We can feel very small when we are standing alone in a busy
room, but we need to change our perspective and practice this skill
instead of neglecting it. Are you ready to play the networking game?
It’s a simple game with very few rules, but is guaranteed to help you
develop your communication skills, build your career and expand your
social circles. Every other person in the room is there to meet new
people, so what are you waiting for?
This article will focus on
how networking in Canada can be instrumental in finding a job. We’ve
gathered some simple tips to help you build a team of people to assist
you with your job search. It’s amazing how helpful people can be, so
don’t be shy about asking someone for assistance. To network
successfully, you need strong communication skills and a willingness
to engage with others. We propose that you prioritize networking your
way to success over applying online for jobs with the rest of the herd.
Key concepts
The
focus of networking in Canada is communicating your value to others. To
do so, you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses well. A few
questions to help you understand the value you bring:
What are your main strengths? This can relate to your personality or your technical/soft skills.
What makes you different? It’s important to understand what makes you unique.
What are your goals?
“Elevator pitch”
When
you meet a complete stranger, you will typically engage in conversation
over trivial issues like the food, the weather, the event, etc. Be
prepared to answer the question “So what brings you here?” This is your
cue to communicate your value. The phrase comes from the idea that you
should be able to communicate your message to a stranger over the time
span of a typical elevator ride. Grab a pen and paper and formulate your
sales pitch. Practice makes perfect. Ensure you practice aloud to woo
strangers.
Guidelines
20 seconds is typically ideal to
cover who you are, what you do and where you would like to be. For
example: ‘My name is John Atkins, I’m a Civil Engineer with two years’
experience on transportation projects and I have just arrived here from
Australia. I love it here so far and I’m really excited about growing
my career in Canada.’
Ensure you include how people can help you.
If you don’t ask, then you don’t get! For example: “I’m looking to
connect with other engineers, particularly those who work on
bridges.” Business Network International (BNI) invites attendees to ask
“who do you know that . . .?”
Where to start?
It’s always easier to network with people who share common interests. Check out
Meetup.com and
find an upcoming event of interest to you. Set yourself a realistic and
achievable goal. For example, make five useful contacts and meet two of
them for coffee within the next week.
Continued below...
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Tips for Networking Events
- Print
off business cards – This step is crucial, as fumbling with your phone
is not professional. It’s very easy to have business cards made up
cheaply.
- Dress to impress – Take note of the dress code and ensure you dress smart.
- Arrive
early – Make life easy for yourself by turning up on time and getting
in position to observe how people interact in the room.
- Body
language – Always offer a firm handshake, coupled with a warm smile and
eye contact. Maintain eye contact while chatting with someone.
- Push yourself outside your comfort zone – Don’t be afraid to mingle and interact with people.
- Names
– Always repeat a person’s name aloud. If you can associate his or her
name with a spelling, someone you know with the same name, or anything
else trivial you are way more likely to remember it.
- Ask
questions – The art of successful networking is to engage the other
person. “Who?”, “What?”, “Where?”, “When?” and “Why?” become your
friends.
- Listen – Our temptation is always to be heard, but take
the time to listen more at events and you will make stronger
connections.
- Be disciplined with your time – Set an amount of
time to spend with people. Some people are happy to make 2-3 connections
at an event, while others like to connect rapidly with everyone. Decide
on a pace that suits you.
- Embrace the opportunity to introduce
yourself to the crowd – Speaking in front of a crowd is simply a habit.
If you always avoid it, your fear will grow. Conquer this fear, as the
opportunity to communicate your value to a crowd of people at the same
time is priceless.
- Be proactive – If you have a good
conversation with someone, don’t be afraid to offer your card and ask
for theirs. Inquire if they would be open to meeting for a coffee/lunch
to follow on your conversation.
- Introductions – Try to bring
others into conversation and connect people with common interests.
Wouldn’t you like if someone did the same for you?
- Follow up –
This is crucial. Ensure you email/call within a few days while the
connection is fresh in your mind, as well as theirs. LinkedIn can be a useful tool for this.
Ensure
you create a list of contacts that you have built up and try to keep
them all updated on your job search with positive messages each week.
This step is really important, as it’s crucial to keep yourself in their
mind.
Online Networking
Not all networking in Canada is
about physical meetings. Some people feel more comfortable networking by
telephone or email. It’s always more difficult to get someone’s
attention by email, so we encourage people to use telephone or meet in
person where possible. When you do need to use email, don’t be afraid to
follow up as people are busy and it’s important to show people you’re
keen to get their help.
LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for researching companies, individuals and relationships, so ensure you avail of this free tool.
Networking Events
Networking
events in Canada are a fantastic way to make new friends and business
contacts. Moving a new city can be a very daunting task for many people.
Whether you come by yourself, or with friends, it’s important to get
out and interact. This comes naturally to some, but for other they may
need to find new friends through activities or formal networking events.
Networking Events in Canada
We have listed some other useful sites below:
MeetUp.com —
Very popular amongst newcomers, this organization for networking in
Canada allows people to meet like-minded people across a range of
professions, interests and activities from hiking, photography, sports,
etc. Check out their website to browse your city and local meetups!
Networking Events in Vancouver
Join our
Moving2Canada Facebook page to keep up to date.
NetworkingInVan — Aggregates networking events of all kinds across the city.
LatinCouver —
An organization for Latin Americans, and Latin enthusiasts living in
Vancouver, to strengthen and celebrate the richness of our cultures.
They organize business networking in Canada events, an annual festival
and various other events each year.
Vancouver Irish Business & Enterprise (VIBE) —
They organize a breakfast event every month open to all, and also host
guest speakers and other networking events for Irish community.
Irish Women’s Network of BC — This
organization holds networking events for Irish community periodically
throughout the year. To get in touch with this organization you can join
their
Facebook group or else contact them via their website.
Other employment resources
Now
that you’ve mastered the resume format in Canada, here are some more
resources to help you win interviews and find a job in Canada.
Remember also that not all recruitment is done through formal interview processes. Find out how to use an
informational interview as a tool to develop your network in Canada.
For vacancies, be sure to visit our
Moving2Canada Jobs Board.
Don’t forget to download the
Moving2Canada Getting Started Success Program today. We’ve packaged templates for a Canadian-style resume format and a cover letter with this download.
The
guide will give you exclusive access to our proven techniques for
accelerating your job search in Canada. It’s a free comprehensive guide
aimed at making your move a success.
Finally,
take a look at our full range of Employment Services, and receive an evaluation of your resume from a Moving2Canada expert.
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