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| Thursday, 01 December 2011 00:16 | |||||
The holiday season is once again upon us and for sure, there will be a lot of celebrations to come this time of year. For some, the Grinch may have stolen their ability to have a holiday gathering with employees due to cost cutting. For larger companies on the other hand, cost cutting may not be an issue so it is most likely that their employees will probably be invited to a holiday party or a few business dinners. As you know, holiday events are still about the business. We must remember that sharing a meal with business colleagues, whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner, knowing proper etiquette is always a good place to start. Aside from the good food, holiday parties also provide a great opportunity for job search networking. According to Robert Hosking, Executive Director of Office Team, although many executives are not concerned about attendance at holiday festivities, some managers actually pay attention to who shows up. He also commented that parties come in a variety of forms and nearly all offer the opportunity to get to know coworkers and bosses on a more personal level. Having said that, showing up at your company’s holiday event is probably a smart career move especially in today’s tough labour market. According to Dale Winston, the CEO of Amrop Battalia Winston recruiting firm, bypassing a company event “sends the wrong message.” In fact, Phil Haynes, the Managing Director of Alliance Q, the group of Fortune 500, and over 3000 small and medium sized companies, advises not to turn down invitations to holiday parties as everyone you meet at a party could be a potential job lead. It does not matter if you do not know half the people at a party; the goal is to find a contact who will remember who you are and what you do. If you are unsure about how to approach someone with a conversation, the first thing most people ask one another is, “so, what do you do?” This question usually starts the ball rolling. The interesting thing about talking with other people is finding out that people love to talk about themselves. At holiday parties, it is often socially acceptable to ask someone what their job is. Maybe they work in a department that you have always wondered about or maybe their job is something that you would be interested in doing. However your conversation turns out, you might actually learn something from them. Questions you could ask are, “How did you get into that job? That sounds really interesting” or “Could you tell me more about the people you work with?” This way, you could pick up on any detail that interests you. At the same time, if you are actively looking for change, inform the person you are speaking to that you are exploring other possibilities or thinking of changing careers. Another thing to remember is to ask for advice by using questions like, “I like your opinion on that. I’m wondering if you could give me some advice about that job” or “I’m interested in learning more about that.” Also try to establish a rapport by mentioning something or someone you know in common. Another key thing to remember is to be natural without sounding like you are reading from a script. Lastly, always remember to ask for their contact information. To keep your memory fresh, it is also smart to write down on their business card a topic you discussed. This can be helpful to jog their memory when you contact them in the near future. Building relationships and establishing a common ground with other people is an art. Never ask anyone for a job, but enjoy your time talking to people because you may need to reach out to them in the near future for a favour or for career advice. Sources: Michele Majul-Ibarra is a compliance officer with Canada Post Corporation specializing in human Rights and conflict management. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a certificate in Human Resource Management. She also has a professional designation, C.I.M. (Certified in Management) awarded by the Canadian Institute of Management through the University of Manitoba. Find Career Connexion on Facebook Have a comment on this article? Send us your feedback
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