How Should I Leverage My Network and Contacts for a New Job?

August 19, 2007 3:49 PM

How Should I Leverage My Network and Contacts for a New Job?

I've been thinking of about moving down to Cali to be closer with my family and finding a new job there. I work in a top marketing agency and has collected large amount of contacts through all the different people I've met and worked with. How should I go about in approaching these contacts and asking if there are any suitable positions opened? Will I run the risk of having other members of my team (who also work closely with these contacts) find out about this?

Any help would be great. Thanks!

posted by willy_dilly to work & money (5 comments total)

OK, first stop using "leverage" as a verb, please. (Yes, I know LanguageHat would tell me that English is evolving etc..., but enough is enough.)

Second, just start casually contacting a few people you feel especially comfortable talking to. Ask them for their thoughts on how the local job market is, etc... Based on this, they may offer you other leads or suggestions.

You always take the risk of your current colleagues finding out, but no matter what industry you're in, it's important to keep on top of opportunities and current conditions - so if they ask, just dissemble a little bit.
posted by Liosliath at 4:01 PM on August 19, 2007

Yes, I know LanguageHat would tell me that English is evolving etc..., but enough is enough.

Evolving? It's been used as a verb for 70 years. The horses have bolted.

But perhaps there is a broader point about how people outside marketing distrust those who use words like "leverage," especially with regard to humans. If I started to think that I was being "leveraged" I might not feel like helping so much.

Do you ever have any social time or less formal communication (face-to-face or over the telephone) with these contacts? Because it might be less awkward to bring it up then rather than in an e-mail (which your IT department might be reading).

Will I run the risk of having other members of my team find out about this?

Of course.
posted by grouse at 4:55 PM on August 19, 2007

Grouse - Really? Ugh. I found a linguists forum that mentioned a 1957 reference, but I had no idea it was even older than that.

Back to the OP - are you trying to find a similar position, or just something in the marketing industry? (With a client, outside vendor, etc...)
posted by Liosliath at 5:49 PM on August 19, 2007

I'm not looking for a similar position. Actually I'm thinking about moving away from the agency side. My sister is going through some personal hardship and is in need of some family support so I definitely have a good reason to be moving.
posted by willy_dilly at 5:56 PM on August 19, 2007

Do it. It's the only way to get a job.
posted by Pants! at 6:55 PM on August 19, 2007