Shaking the Branches of Your Family Tree

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The Lion’s Pride: Networking

Shaking the Branches of Your Family Tree

Jeff Foxworthy once said, "You might be a redneck if your family tree does not fork."

This point hit home recently when I gave the eulogy for a family member. Like most at funerals, I met relatives I had either never met or had not seen since childhood. About half of them looked like carbon copies. There was no mistaking them as really, REALLY close relatives.

I learned that while my family has branches, at least one of those branches does not fork. Much. At all.

Even if you find yourself in the same situation, you can still develop and enhance your network. Just shake your family tree.

Family reunions, funerals and weddings. If you’re job hunting, never pass up these occasions. Long-lost relatives (and their spouses) have jobs - and their own networks. They may know somebody who needs someone with your skills and experience. Take the opportunity to connect with them using the job fair technique. Ask for their business cards and be sure to follow up a few days after the event. These events are usually less stressful, as you already have a family connection. The bonus, here, is that as you connect with them, you’re connecting with a part of yourself as well.

Pick up the phone. WildJobSafari’s home office is in a mid-sized city where I have a few relatives. Unfortunately, our schedules do not mesh and, while we have no animosity toward each other, none of us had much contact with each other. Then, while out of work, I picked up the phone and arranged lunch. We spent a few hours catching up. Eventually, we talked about work. While I didn’t get any job leads, my relative did give me some industry information. I used that info to develop new leads. Which was just as good.

Serendipity. I was at a Toastmasters-related event a few months back and came across a young man with my last name. While I had connected with his father a few years back, I didn’t remember ever meeting him. Turns out he was dating the daughter of a friend of mine. Since he was a college senior looking for job leads, I gave him my card and offered to help him look for work. After all, his father helped me and I wanted to return the favor.

IN THE CARAVAN: Shake your family tree to develop your network.

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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