The Lion’s Pride: Networking - Gump-Style Networking

WildJbSafari.cm

Free daily job search advice.

Because it’s a jungle out there.

The Lion’s Pride: Networking

Gump-Style Networking

Knowing the right stuff and the right people can help your career. You already know this. Forrest Gump didn't but wound up successful anyhow.

Here's what you can learn from Forrest Gump:

"My name is Forrest. Forrest Gump. People call me Forrest Gump." He made sure everyone he met knew his name, from President Johnson to Bubba. Nobody referred to him as "that guy who..." Likewise, everyone should know your name, as well.

One of the less obvious reasons people remembered his name is that he remembered - and used - others' names. How many times have you shaken someone's hand and forgot their name ten seconds later? Call it "Networking Karma" if you like: if remember others' names, they will tend to remember yours, as well.

"Life is like a box of cherries: you never know what you're gonna get." Who knew that when Forrest went into the army, he'd wind up meeting Bubba? And that Bubba would give him what was essentially a loose blueprint for a wildly successful business?

Forrest treated everybody with respect - like they were important. Doing likewise can help your job hunt, as well. You never know who you'll meet, so treat everyone like a networking contact.

"Jenny." Forrest had one love in his life, and that was the tragic figure, Jenny. He fell in love with her as a child, crossed paths with her a few times in adulthood, and even named a boat after her. Eventually, he won her hand in marriage and had a son with her.

Forrest knew what he wanted and, despite the twists and turns his life made, he always pursued his passion. Eventually, he won what he always desired. This kind of focus can help job hunters...as long as they don't take three decades. Focusing on what you want will guide you on a more linear networking path than Forrest's. And, while you may not wind up the sole owner of the world's largest crustacean company, you will achieve success.

IN THE CARAVAN: When networking, use the Gump Approach

	The Call of the Wild Podcast
	The Lion’s Pride
	The Safari Guide
	In the Field With…
	The Daily Machete

Resumes Q & A Adding Value Interviewing

Networking

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