Who or what is a networking contact?

Since this subject of contacts is widely misunderstood by job-hunters and career-changers, let’s be very specific, here.

  • Every person you know, is a contact.
  • Every member of your family.
  • Every friend of yours.
  • Every person in your address book.
  • Every person on your Christmas-card list, or comparable.
  • Every person you met at any party you attended in the last year or two.
  • Every co-worker from your last five jobs.
  • Every person you know at your gym or athletic place.
  • Every person you know on any athletic team.
  • Every merchant or salesperson you ever deal with.
  • Every person who comes to your apartment or house to do any kind of repairs or maintenance work.
  • Every person you meet in line at the supermarket or bank.
  • Every checkout clerk you know.
  • Every gas station attendant you know.
  • Everyone who does personal work on you: your barber, hairdresser, manicurist, physical trainer, body worker, and the like.
  • The waiters, waitresses, and manager of your favorite restaurants.
  • All the people you meet on the Internet.  All the people whose e-mail addresses you have.
  • Every leisure partner you have, as for walking, exercising, swimming, or whatever.
  • Every doctor, or medical professional you know.
  • Every professor, teacher, etc., you once knew and maybe still know how to get a hold of.
  • Every person in your church, synagogue, mosque, or religious assembly.
  • Everyone you know in Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions, or other service organizations.
  • Every person you know at any group you belong to.
  • Every person you are newly introduced to.
  • Every person you meet, stumble across, or blunder into, during your job-hunt, whose name, address, and phone number you have the grace to ask for. (Always have the grace to ask for it.)

Got the picture?

Richard Nelson Bolles "What Color is Your Parachute"