You Only Get What You Ask For

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The Lion’s Pride: Networking

You Only Get What You Ask For

There’s a story about a panhandler who asked for a quarter. People would drop the two bits in his cup on a regular basis. One day, a lady held out a dollar bill. The panhandler’s eyes widened and his face brightened as he graciously accepted the greenback. The woman smiled back and placed her open hand face up in front of the man.

Confused, the man said, “I’m sorry. Maybe you didn’t hear me thank you.”

“I heard,” the woman said pleasantly. “But you only asked for a quarter. I’m waiting for my change.”

Life – and job hunting – is a lot like that: we only get what we ask for.

How many times have you heard, “I don’t ask for much…?”

This isn’t to say we should ask for the sun, moon and stars, but rather to state our desires and expectations. Particularly to our networking contacts.

Be specific. If you want to work at ABC, Inc., then tell your contacts you’d love to meet with Mr. Smith (a specific person or title). Your odds of success are much higher than asking if they “know anybody over at ABC, Inc.”

Don’t undersell. Your goal is to find the best position available at the best pay possible. When networking, coach your contacts on your salary expectations. This may seem to infringe on privacy (and it may), but it also eliminates being referred to lower-paying jobs. After all, you never, NEVER want to leave money on the table.

Don’t go overboard. It’s common to ask for a bit more than is expected, but demanding $12 million for a dishwashing job is more than a tad excessive. Instead, ask for a certain percentage over what you want. If it’s too much, then hiring managers might talk you down.

IN THE CARAVAN: You have a better chance of getting what you want by asking for it.

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Business Card Pack Rats / Gump-Style Networking / Becoming the Hub Increases Your Brand / Becoming the Hub II: Building Self-Feeding Buzz / Myths and Truisms / Grow Your Network - Go Where The Employers Are! / It's Not What You Know... / Always Be Prepared...Even If You're Not a Boy Scout / How to Make Six Degrees of Separation Work (Even If You're Not Kevin Bacon) / Marketing and Branding Yourself, Part I / Branding II: Your Website or Blog / Finding the Right Contact Person / Give a Little to Get a Little / Why Join Organizations? / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 1 / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 2: The Winning of The Sally / First Contact With Mr. Smith, Part 3: First Impressions / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part 1 / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part II: It's Not the Song, It's the Singer / Asking Mr. Smith for Help, Part III: Getting down to business / Networking at Job Fairs / Doing It On the Road / Networking Online / Getting Info From Sally & Co., Part I / Getting Info From Sally & Co., Part II: Asking The Right Questions / Networking Out of Town Part I: Laying the Foundation / Networking Out of Town Part II: Touring for Interviews / Working the Network by Feeding the Network / 'Running' Into Contacts / You Only Get What You Ask For / Press the Flesh II: Small Talk / Press the Flesh Like a Pro / Playing the Percentages / Fishing and the Right Bait / Shrek Style / Get Your Butterflies Flying In Formation / Discover Other People’s Passions / Double Dipping Doing Good / Overbooking Your Way to a New Job / Shaking the Branches of Your Family Tree / Working Your Reunion / Parents of Your Kids' Friends