Are You Working Without a Net?

Brenda Griffin  Get A Job Expert

Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.  ~ Henry Van Dyke

     It's easy to get busy and lose touch with colleagues!  Between working, family obligations, hobbies, volunteering, and life in general, most of us get caught up in the day-to-day flow of life.  Next thing you know, you're working without a net - your network!

     Have you ever had people in your life where time flies by and when you finally do touch base, it feels like yesterday?  As though things pick up right where you left them?  Those moments are glorious. 

     You feel connected to something bigger than you. Life doesn't seem as isolating and bland. You know there are people who will be there for you when you need them.  So, why don't you do it more often? Are you assuming those contacts will always be there?

     Networking is a great way to find your next job.  Some would argue it's the best way. It's also fun to check in with people to see how they're doing. Catch up on all the latest. What's amazing is how the results multiply.

     Just this week, I got a surprise e-mail from my friend Linda, with a link to her new website. In response, I shared Get a Job Tools. Knowing some laid off colleagues, Linda forwarded the information onto her network, so they could benefit from the program.  We worked together for six years in the early 1990's, and have stayed in touch ever since.

     Don told me about his job opportunity when I called to check in this week. He lost his job in December. It was a difficult experience for him.  I call him often to let him know he is not alone, and to remind him that he will land his feet. He always asks that I stay in touch.  We met while volunteering in 1995. Years ago, I called him after I lost a job. He paved the way for me to get hired at his company.  See how it works?

     Most don't realize they're working without their net, until they need it. That's why it's important to keep your net intact! When was the last time you picked up the phone to check in?  Asked a colleague to lunch?  Sent a quick e-mail with news or information that may be of interest?  Congratulated someone on a promotion or new job, birth of a child, or sent a condolence card for a loss?

     Time does fly and soon, the correspondence is down to a Holiday card or, worse yet, thinking about sending one. Has this happened to you?  Is it possible you've lost your net?

     If so, it's not too late to recast your lines of communication and rebuild it! When you think about it, how much time does it take to send an e-mail to extend a lunch invitation? Or better yet, pick up the phone?

     The ideas for networking and staying connected are endless.  Everyone has a favorite way of keeping in touch.  That is not the hard part!  It's the follow through. 

     What can you do this week to maintain your net?