Hi networkers,

Last week, I made a post on my LinkedIn and wanted to answer from feedback.

In the post, I mentioned that I landed my first internship by building a good relationship with my recruiter, however, I didn’t exactly explain how I did that.

Some of you noticed too, and I got questions like:

“How did you convert your talks into a job offer?”

So in today’s article, I'll not only address that but also provide one valuable piece of advice that can elevate your networking game.

🏁 Here’s the route for this week’s run:

🎙️ Topic: Talk Your Way Into That Job

💡 Don’t Be Interesting, Be Interested

📍 Checkpoints: Networking Events to Stop By

We all understand that a successful interview can land you the job, but why wait until then to let your networking efforts shine?

Over a year ago, before I had my 1st internship, I didn’t network. All I did was send out applications and hope for the best.

But after 60+ resumes & cover letters, I wasn’t getting anywhere. You can read that whole story here.

The point is, I didn’t get results until I reached out to recruiters via email, which then led me to coffee chats.

I shifted gears and began reaching out to recruiters via email, which ultimately led to coffee chats.

Through these conversations, I effectively turned dialogues into interviews and job offers by focusing on three key elements:

Consistency: Networking is of little use if you never engage with the same person again. I made a point of staying in touch with recruiters after our initial coffee chats, which kept me on their radar.

Transparency: I was clear about my intentions. I explicitly expressed my interest in the roles I was pursuing. It's essential not to shy away from articulating your goals and aspirations.

Likeability: Building rapport is essential. Your ability to engage with and understand people is critical. Recruiters, like anyone else, prefer candidates they genuinely like.

These 3 factors helped me establish a rapport with the company, making the interview process smoother, as they were already familiar with me.

Follow the advice in the next section to for actionable steps ⬇️

Above is a quote from one of my favorite books - How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Basically, Dale says that to get what you want from someone, you must be interested in them first.

People crave the feeling of importance. If you give them attention and make them feel valued, they’ll feel inclined reciprocate

When I first contacted my recruiter, I didn’t make it about me. I didn’t even mention that I was looking for an internship.

Instead, I asked about her diverse work experience, I asked how she made her career shifts, what it was like, how she felt, etc.

I made her the main character, and in doing so, I became the main candidate for the role in her eyes.

So, while there are countless strategies for networking, don’t worry about them.

Because if you only ever remember one, make it this one -

Don’t be an interesting person; be an interested person.

The next time you’re networking with a recruiter. Do these 2 things

See everyone next week!

-Michael

BMO Capital Markets Open House Series

Schulich AI - Networking Mixer

St. Michael's Hospital Online Job Fair

1 Referral - Resume Template
2 Referrals - Cover Letter Template
3 Referrals - Notion Template

{{rp_personalized_text}}

Or copy and paste this link: {{rp_refer_url}}