Now’s a Good Time to Network
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David De Lossy/Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — As the end of the year approaches, many people think about their prospects for the future and possibly switching jobs.
With office parties and Christmas gatherings for friends and families, job experts say this is a good time to network.
“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of networking and staying connected with people,” says Jane Trnka, executive director of the Career Development Center at the Rollins College MBA program in Winter Park, Fla. “It’s not just at an office but when you go to social gatherings, you go to games, if you go to different organizational meetings, those are all great opportunities to meet with people to connect.”
Job seekers, she tells ABC News Radio, “need to feel comfortable and confident about talking about themselves, their skills, their talents and what they bring to the table for an employer.”
When approaching someone, keep any job pitch brief.
“If you talk more than 30 or 40 seconds you might get that glazed look over the other person’s eyes, so you want to make sure that you keep them engaged,” Trnka says.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio