The answer is never “because that is what I’m expected to do”. There has to be another underlying reason, something that drives you, and that reason will be all you need to push forward - from my experience, at least.

Jaime: Only if you’ll be the Oprah, Jaime - don’t think I’m not going to hold you to that.

Ken: I hear where you’re at. I simply can’t see myself busting through the wall like you did, though. I feel like your work is more rewarding to you in a lot of ways than mine - many of which I’m not willing to write about here - and truly admire the fact that you love what you do and have that commitment at our young age. I’ll obviously keep you posted as to where things go.

Only you know what’s best for you - if along your path you’ve hit a wall, do you find a new path, take a break from walking, or bust straight through the wall? I’m interested to hear where you end up heading.

I’m potentially going to either Kenya or Rwanda in the spring through my church as well, which I’m really looking forward to, I just have to find out where we’re headed!

I’m a also a big advocate for politeness. If someone does something nice for you, say thank you. I’ve helped a number of people in their careers, and though I don’t do it for the thanks, I always find it rather strange that some of them don’t think to send me a quick note of thanks. So I always try to thank my friends and acquaintances for any advice, help, book suggestions, connections, etc. etc. that they are willing to offer up.

Nice piece, by the way. I’ll be coming back more often. =)

Great post, as always. Good point about checking out what your web presence says about you. I checked out mine, and nothing incriminating comes up, although I’m not the sole focus of the page. It seems that a Katrina McKay in Australia has taken the top spot, and there is also a Katrina McKay in Ireland (she apparently works at Citi) and one on her way to New York (I’m not sure where she’s from). Still, my blog does come up, as does my LinkedIn profile, followed by some comments I have left for others.

I do stand behind the idea that it’s really not that difficult to network, and that being upfront about the fact that you’re looking for a position is not impolite or pushy - just forthright. At the same time, while I have no issue with asking new contacts flat out if they are hiring, I also believe that the best networkers give more than they take, and so I endeavour to offer up information, opportunities and resources to anyone who I meet through my networking activities. In other words, my conversations don’t center purely around my career or my needs - I am just as willing to build a relationship with those in my network who are NOT hiring. At the same time - don’t ask, don’t get. I think that a lot of folks are afraid to be direct and therefore miss out on potentially time-sensitive windows of opportunity. That’s my two cents.

I totally agree that referrals are the way to go, though - especially in a tough economy where the competition for the better positions gets fierce. I find my LinkedIn network is particularly helpful for this. With it I can establish who in my circle is connected with someone who I am endeavouring to meet or who used to work at a company I am applying to. It’s truly amazing how people are connected. This is also a good reason to never burn bridges if you can avoid doing so. You never know who you will run into again.

Thanks again for your post. I’ll be watching for the next one.

Katrina

I’d love to see a post about true networking — I think there are many grads out there who think they understand it but don’t properly put it into action. Networking is so much more than just walking up to people and saying “Hi.” It’s knowing where they are, what they’re up to, and cultivating a relationship that pays you dividends in the long run. It won’t just help you get a job, it will help you be successful when you finally land it, and create a back-up support system if you lose it.