3 Signs Youre Networking Too Aggressively- The Muse

3 Signs Youre Networking Too Aggressively- The Muse3 Signs Youre Networking Too Aggressively- The MuseYou know how important it is to continually grow your network. And you also know that checking in with your contacts a big part of that. In fact, youre willing to put in however much work it takes, because thats just how committed you are. People get busy, things slip off the radar, but youll keep reminding your connections you exist so they have one less thing to remember.Unfortunately, even though you have the right intentions, the actions youre taking are likely to backfire. Thats because theres a tipping point between thoughtful contact and nuisance- and you keep blowing past it. Youve skipped past helpful, breezed by diligent, and now risk being pigeonholed as difficult (even though I know thats the very opposite of who youre trying to be). Thats because staying in touch with you takes too much time and effort.So, check out if any of these scenarios ring a little too true. If yo u identify with these signs, its time to back off. 1. You Have Multiple Points of Contact at the Same CompanyYou know finding an in at a company is worthwhile and so you figure, if one is good, mora than one is probably better. After all, if you know the whole staff, youll seem like a natural fit when a job opens up. Maybe you figure different team members will do things differently so making multiple contacts is logical. Or maybe you want to be noticed for your ideas, and this way, even if one person shoots you down, someone else will like what you have to say. Regardless, its not a big deal to send separate emails to a whole department- right, because at the very least, everyone will know you care? Face FactsThis is actually a bad strategy for a number of reasons (not even counting how much time itll take on your end). When the co-workers learn that youve reached out to all of them and theyre basically doing duplicate work responding to you, itll count against you. Additionally, y oure pretty much saying you dont 100% trust anyone youre contacting. That doesnt make people feel great. The solution is to do your research on the front end and reach out to the staff member who seems most appropriate. If you feel like this person is blowing you off, you can ask if theres someone else whod be better suited to assist you. Still getting the runaround? It may be a sign (or red flag) that the company isnt what it appears from the outside.2. Youre a Double-EmailerWhats a double-emailer? That would be someone who sends two emails in a row, without a response from the other person in between. It doesnt include those times when you forget an attachment or you hit send before you finished typing. It encompasses the situations in which you follow up because you havent gotten a response in your ideal time frame. Emphasis on your.Sure, sometimes you need to follow up within 24 hours (or even sooner), like when some decision is being made or some report is being published and y ou need the latest numbers or approval ASAP. But, these sort of time-sensitive matters rarely happen in networking scenarios. If your second emails a check-in (e.g., confirming the other person saw the first email, asking if you can send anything else along, saying hi), basically poking and prodding with no hard deadline looming- youre double emailing. Face FactsIf someone isnt getting back to you, odds are shes super busy and your musiknote isnt a top priority. In this instance, your next email will likely be ignored too, until she moves further down her to-do list. Pushing her to get back to you- and sooner rather than later- wont bump you up the list. But it can make you look impatient (or inconsiderate).The solution is to wait at least seven days. At that point, you can send one- and only one- email to see if your contact received your last message. Maybe youll hear back, maybe you wont. But if its the latter, please, I beg of you, dont be a triple or quadruple-emailer. Its not pretty and its not going to change things.3. You Feel Like Youve Been GhostedThis is similar to the situation above in that your connection isnt getting back to you. But it can be even mora confusing because it seems straight up out of nowhere. You werent a nuisance last week, so why is this person ignoring you now? In all reality, you probably were overdoing it before, too. But initially, the other person was uncomfortable telling you to go away. Or, maybe she was dropping hints that she couldnt be as connected as youd like, but after deciding you just werent getting it, she gave up.Face FactsReplying less (and sometimes not at all) is a strategy to get people to send less email. This more drastic measure- not responding in the hopes youll finally get the message- may actually be a last-ditch effort to save the relationship by making it more manageable.So, the solution is to do just that. Its not that you cant ever connect with this person again, but you do need to recognize youve burnt her out a bit. So, give it a rest. Dont reach out for a few weeks or even a month, and when you do get back in touch, include something of value for the other person.More isnt always better, and thats definitely true for networking. Its possible to overdo your outreach. So, if you recognize yourself in any of the scenarios above, take a step back. Your contacts will appreciate it- and when you do reach out, youll be more likely to get a response.Photo of people meeting courtesy of Sam Edwards/Getty Images.

Over 50 Turn A 1st Phone Interview Into The 2nd

Over 50 Turn A 1st Phone Interview Into The 2ndOver 50 Turn A 1st Phone Interview Into The 2ndINBOX Im getting phone interviews, but not quite getting past them. I know the recruiter wont come out and say it, obviously, but do you think its parteially because of my age?Partially, yes. The other part is, you THINK thats the reason, and youre carrying that mindset with you into the conversation. Trust me, the recruiter can see that through the phone. In this video, lets talk about 4 key points you need to keep in mind, particularly when youre a mora mature employee talking to a young recruiter.You need to up your batting average when it comes to phone interviews, so that you make it to in-person interviews more consistently. The latest statistics show most candidates need to take part in 17 interviews before hearing 1 job offer.Lets not have you keep on hearing, You sound great, your experience is great, but its just not the right fit. Theyre lying to you, anyway. Find out more of what age 50+ jobseekers do thats taking them from job searching to job found. Thats in our free online program, 5 Secret Job Search Hacks For The Age 50+ Job Hunter

These Are Not Good Reasons to Quit a Job

behauptung Are Not Good Reasons to Quit a JobThese Are Not Good Reasons to Quit a Job4 Wrong Reasons to Quit Your JobFour times when youll regret saying, Take this job and shove itMost people spend 40 hours a week at work, and its natural to want a job with a supportive boss, great colleagues, and fulfilling work that pays well. However, sometimes employees have unrealistic expectations for work and want to leave the organization for impractical reasons. These are four of the wrong reasons to quit your job. Youre receiving criticism from your bossWhile no one likes to be criticized, those comments can help you become a better employee. Its human nature to think that were doing everything right, but often, this is not the case. Newsflash When someone is paying you to perform a job, they have the right to decide if youre meeting their expectations or not. Even if you dont agree, try to find a grain of truth in the criticism. If you get offended and quit every time your behavior or your work is criticized, youll be changing jobs quite frequently.Consider this According to a Leadership IQ study, 46 percent of new hires will fail because they lack the ability to accept feedback. The study also found that 23 percent of new hires cant recognize and manage their negative emotions, while 15 percent have the wrong temperament. In other words, if you refuse to allow someone to point out what youre doing wrong or you wont commit to making those changes, then youre undermining your chances of ever achieving career success.Even if you have a bad boss, think twice about quitting. Its important to learn how to deal with difficult people. If the situation becomes unbearable, consider taking your case to human resources or ask to transfer to another department. Of course, if your boss is a tyrant, you shouldnt accept abusive behavior, but make sure that youre not confusing oppression with an unwillingness to accept feedback. You were passed over for promotionsLets be honest No o ne whos been passed over for a promotion ever thinks the rolle eventually selected was a better choice. Each one of us wants to believe that we are the best choice. However, there are a lot of factors that contribute to this type of decision. For example, some companies promote employees based on seniority, while others are concerned with looking for candidates who can not only motivate employees, but also hold them accountable. If youre the type of person who avoids confrontation at any cost, you might not be considered for a team lead or a management position.On one occasion, an employee was passed over for a management position because this individual left work every day at exactly 500 p.m. not 501 p.m. or 502 p.m. Regardless of what was going on or what deadline was looming, the employee refused to stay one minute past 500 p.m. However, the other managers at the organization rarely left work on time, and if they did, they would often continue working when they arrived at home. Its in a companys best interest to promote the fruchtwein qualified people, so being passed over for a promotion is rarely a case of someone who is out to get you. Before you throw in the towel, try to discover the common denominator among those employees whove received promotions to find out what theyre doing that you are not. Also, consider what you would do if you moved to another company and did not get promoted there. Would you quit again? Related Building Your Case 7 Steps to Asking for That RaiseYou want more moneyObviously, everyone wants to earn more money. But, sometimes those dollar signs can cloud your vision. If you currently have a job that you love or at least really like you need to weigh the pros and cons of quitting.For example, your current job may be quite flexible, while the new workplace might not be as accommodating. You may be accustomed to coming in late, leaving early, or even working from home when the kids have events at school or medical appointments. How would your lifestyle change if the new company had a more rigid schedule and required employees to request time off months in advance? Also, when evaluating a compensation package, consider more than just your salary. An affordable health insurance plan should be a major consideration especially if youre the primary provider for your family. You also need to factor in the amount of vacation and sick time the new job offers. If you plan on going back to school, dont forget to find out if your current employer or a new one that youre considering offers tuition reimbursement.There are other little factors that, when taken as a whole, could eventually become a major plus or a major negative. For example, if youre going from free, close, and secure parking to a job with remote, paid parking, this not only means that you will now have to pay parking fees, but youll also be standing around (in the heat, rain, or snow), waiting to be picked up and dropped off at your office. Also, be cause youre parking so far away, the chances of running errands on your lunch break are greatly diminished.Another consideration If youre quitting a job that is 15 minutes from your home for a job that is 45 minutes away, this will increase gas consumption, wear and tear on your vehicle, and stress levels, especially if youre spending more time in traffic.In addition, if youre leaving a job with a low-cost cafeteria or the ability to store your lunch in the refrigerator for a place with no economical place to eat nearby and limited or no refrigerator space, you might end up spending significantly more on your meals.These are just some of the factors you need to consider if you want to leave your job for one that pays better. Ask yourself, Is it worth it?You want to departure your own businessTheres a big difference between quitting your job to start a new business, and leaving because your new business has been up and running for a while. According to Entrepreneur, while 75 percent of small business owners are supremely confident that their company will be profitable, 50 percent fail in the fifth year, and at the 10-year mark, 70 percent of small businesses have gone belly-up. The vast majority of these failures are a result of cash flow problems.It should also be noted that only 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first two years. This fact is important because one or two good years can create a false sense of success. Thats why it might be better to hold on to your day job until your business has been successful for several years. While no job is perfect, its important to approach employment from a realistic perspective. Always weigh the advantages of staying against the drawbacks of leaving before submitting your letter of resignation. You may find that your job is more beneficial than you think.Click on the following link for more career advice.Do you have a good reason to quit your job? Kick off your job search with a free resume review.Recomme nded ReadingHow to Quit Your Job the Smart WayIts OK to Quit (Your Job)Should You End Things with Your Job?