Customize Your Networking Profile Barbara Safani

Every smart business owner has a business plan. The plan keeps them on-task and accountable for their actions throughout the year. So doesn’t it make sense for a job seeker to have a business plan to keep them focused and productive during their job search?

This business plan, often referred to as a networking profile, serves a dual purpose for you as a job seeker. It encourages you to research, reflect on, categorize, and streamline relevant targets (i.e. industries, companies, functional departments, etc.) and search for decision makers within these targets. It also serves as an excellent piece of marketing collateral during informational interviews and networking meetings because the plan crystallizes job search goals and makes it much easier for the person you are networking with to offer specific and valuable advice.
Here are the key attributes of a sound networking profile:

Profile
Like the profile section on your resume, the profile on your self-marketing plan acts as a sound bite of information to showcase your overall accomplishments and competencies.

Successes
List three to five key accomplishments that display your personal brand, targeted to a particular type of role or industry.

Target Positions
Showcase the types of positions that are a good fit for you based on your experience, career level, and interests.

Target Industries
Some job seekers will have skills that lend themselves to a specific industry. For example, an investment banker will most likely target commercial or private banking or hedge funds. An accountant, on the other hand, may target public accounting firms or multiple industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, telecommunications, etc.

Target Contacts
Discuss the type of decision maker you need to get in front of. The appropriate decision maker is typically someone in a position one to two levels above you.

Target Company Profile
This section describes the type of company for which you’d like to work. Examples might include international firms, start-ups, high-growth, or distressed organizations seeking a turnaround specialist.

Target Companies
Create a list of 15-25 companies that are reasonable targets for you. If possible, rank them in order of preference.

Company Size
Are you looking for a Fortune 500 company or a small start-up? Many job seekers have definite opinions about where they would like to work. By conveying preferences on the self marketing plan, you can quickly clarify the type of company you wish to pursue. This helps your audience give more specific and productive recommendations.

Geography
Summarize the cities, states, and countries you’re interested in working in. It will help the reader to better understand the area you’re targeting and the degree of geographic flexibility in your search.

Employment History
Include a list of companies you have worked for. This is just a snapshot of information and does not require a great deal of detail, but gives an overall view of the variety of your work experience. The resume is the more appropriate place for a fleshed-out chronology of your professional history.
Here’s a sample marketing plan for your reference:

Now, get networking!