This post is sponsored by AT&T.
As a consulting professional meeting with clients each day, my phone is the dashboard for my schedule, communication, home management, news updates and entertainment on the go. Mobile devices not only enable me to work on the go, but also keep up the networking essential for growing my consulting business. I can attend scheduled meeting and events while also seeing what events others in my networking are attending. Best of all, my phone helps me reach out to my network to set up “in real life (IRL)” networking, which is one of the most important parts of a modern career and helps build strong friendships.
One of my favorite business networks is my fellow women in tech and digital media. Each day, we connect through social platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest while also texting and talking on the phone. In these conversations, we discuss how many women in tech are looking to pivot into either long-term projects, full-time work or part-time engagements. At the same time, I hear from others in my network who are looking to hire more women in tech or share an interesting job opening. So I decided to take on my own personal social good mission of helping connect women looking for work to the job opportunities I hear about. This includes job opportunities I see on my mobile devices as I catch up on work between meetings. With limited time, I need to act quickly to forward opportunities to the right person.
Just the other day I met with a fellow woman entrepreneur who asked to meet for lunch. In Real Life coffees and lunches have helped me go beyond the everyday “like” that connects or shares online to truly catching up on each other’s lives. This entrepreneur, like many I meet, was going to be hiring in the near term. So we talked specifically about the job roles that were needed and I recommended tech professionals in my network who I knew were looking for work. Seeing my friends face light up and say, “Wow, that is a great suggestion” made me feel like I had achieved my mission of connecting friends. Because I ask everyone that I talk to if they are either looking for work or hiring, I have options always available to suggest.
My mobile phone is the tool that empowers me to make that happen. Just think, if everyone took on the role to help people in their network to connect with the right employers and job opportunities who knows how many more fruitful connections could be made? This means going beyond being a passive member of social networks to “enabling” connections. AT&T asked me to participate in their #Useit4Good initiative that highlights ways we can use our phones for good, giving back using our technology. I decided to share some tips to hopefully inspire others to use their mobile devices to light up their networks with new job connections as well!
Tip 1: Keep tabs on who from your network is looking for jobs – When connecting with friends in real life, online or on the phone, ask them about their job. If they open up that they are looking to pivot careers or get a new job, find out what type of job they are looking for.
Tip 2: Learn who is hiring, and for what type of jobs – For those in your network that are business owners or work for a company, find out who is hiring and for what type of jobs. When you hear of a job opening that fits the skills of someone in your network that is looking for work, contact them right away to share that opportunity. This is where mobile devices really come in handy. Be that person who connects those in your network looking for work with those hiring!
Tip 3: Professional Branding- Keep your resume and LinkedIn profiles up to date to make sure you are presenting your own professional skills to your network. Attend in real life business events, collect business cards or business information and add them to your LinkedIn or other networking lists. No matter what your current job situation is, business networking is an important part of building and maintaining a professional community. Keep your network current by scheduling coffee or lunch; “in real life” connections are usually the ones that lead to the best opportunities. Attend relevant business conferences to make new connections.
Tip 4: Join Career and Job Websites – Sign up for career and job websites to see the open job opportunities relevant to you and your professional network.
Do you have any tips for helping professionals in your network find work?
This post was sponsored by AT&T. I received compensation through my ongoing partnership with AT&T. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.
To read more stories about how Mobile devices are inspiring people and connecting communities, check out the AT&T #Useit4Good site, @ConnectToGood, @ATT, Facebook.com/ATT .
