Leadership

The Art of Networking - Old School

By Steve Tobak

Updated on: March 18, 2009 / 2:35 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

The most important thing you can do for your career is networking. I don't mean social networking - I don't believe you can build a career just by using LinkedIn. I'm talking old school. Virtually every job and opportunity in my 20-plus year career came as a result of networking.

Here are the top five networking techniques to boost your career:

Meet with customers and partners. Getting out and meeting with potential customers and partners is huge for networking. Keep your ears open for opportunities and ask leading questions. They get to know you, like what they see, the next thing you know, they're calling to offer you a job. I got two jobs that way, including my first as a VP of a public company.
Help colleagues with their careers. When colleagues or associates need help, offer and support them. They just may reciprocate some day. A guy I actually worked for in the old days tracked me down to ask for a reference. Years later, he turned me on to an opportunity that became one of the most important senior executive jobs of my career.
Attend conferences. Conferences - especially smaller, more intimate ones related to your industry - are a great way to meet high quality people in your field, especially accomplished individuals. Don't forget to introduce yourself to competitors; you never know what that might lead to. Speaking or sitting on a panel is a great way to gain exposure and get the phone to ring.
Spend time with coworkers outside of work. Dinner or drinks are great - that's when people begin to decompress; lunch, not so much - everybody's just thinking about what they've got going on that day. Lasting friendships and relationships emerge. Besides the personal rewards, opportunities arise.
Make proactive networking an integral part of your business life. Don't wait until you need a job; that's too late. People can smell the desperation and they may feel as if you're using them, which you are. Instead, get on the phone and catch up with people. Even an email is better than nothing. Find out what's going on and ask leading questions; you never know what may come up.

Bottom line: If it feels like you're spending 20 percent of your time BSing with people on the phone or out of the office, that's about right. If you do these five things, stay positive, keep an open mind, and look for opportunities, I guarantee you a successful career. Try it; it works.

Tell us your networking success stories -- even social networking. And here are some outstanding tips for recession-proofing your career.