employeeze

It astounds me how many people, especially corporate recruiters, *don’t* keep up their networks.  Here is an example; I posted this morning to a local listserv I’ve been on for years. We have strict posting guidelines on certain topics, and I made sure to follow them. The moderator immediately posted a response reminding everyone what those guidelines were, and told me she knows I am careful about my posting and that I follow the community standards. I got the answers I was looking for, and it in part because people know me and my reputation. They are willing to share information with me because I share information with others.

 Two days ago out of the blue I got an email from someone wanting my help getting her roommate a job. She has barely written to me in the last two years, not even responding to my overtures. 

So here is the thing. As a recruiter, and even just as a person in the business world, I’m going to be more inclined to help those people that have made the effort to keep up ties with me, *all* the time rather than when they need something from me.  I treat my friendships the same way. When I have free time, I tend to spend it with those people who have consistently shown an interest in my life. 

The moral of the story is simple: don’t just contact someone when you need something. Especially if you are suddenly unemployed and find yourself with a lot of free time on your hands, reach out to people just to say “hi”, and they will remember it.

 As my favorite quotation goes: “I believe in karma, what you give is what you get returned.” (Savage Garden, “Affirmation”)

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