One of the first things people think about when they get laid off is "I wish I had stayed in touch with people in my network better. " I know I did. The past is the past so we have to move on.
My joy today is that old friends are still friends even if you haven't kept up. Friendship is a two way street so don't feel too bad about not keeping up. Your friends need to keep up with you as well because they could be in your shoes someday. Another reason not to feel guilty is that everyone is busy with work, family, kids, hobbies and just life. Most everyone can relate if you haven't had time to keep up. In a lot of cases they may be glad that you reached out. Many will feel guilt either for not keeping up or that you are now in your current situation.
As people looking for a job we need to take advantage of this time to re-connect with people. This effort can provide benefits in many ways. First you get to find out what your friends are up to. Second you may be able to connect to your next job. Finally, you may be able to help your friends which there is no better feeling than that.
The good thing is most people are willing to re-connect. My only recommendation is that you don't reconnect just to find a job. If they are your friend they will want to help but don't call up and expect them to give you your next job. In other words you have to be authentic in your desire to re-new your friendships.
As I said a few days ago the toughest part in most cases is picking up the phone. Just do it and you might be surprised.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment