In one of my workshops for expatriate spouses in the NY area we discuss networking or the concept of creating and maintaining career connections.
We usually launch the workshop by sharing what “to network” means to me, how it is defined and what the networking do’s and don’ts are in my country of origin and compare it to how networking is defined and done in the USA . In the process we also learn to better understand how culture shapes how people look for and find work.
According to a spouse from Nigeria, networking is an open secret. This means that in general everyone knows that jobs are found through networking and relatives help each other, but it is not openly talked about or recognized (as in the US). My Kenyan, Bulgarian and South Korean participants agreed. Networking for a job is semi-hidden and indirect were words they used to describe it. The Swedish and British participants agreed with it being carried out indirectly, and that friends and family play an important role. They even mentioned that contacting people you do not know well directly and openly to ask for career advice and job leads would result in losing face or making a fool of yourself.
Who is it appropriate to network with as part of your global job search
According to my workshop participants? In South Korea the school or university you attended plays an important role in defining your network together with your hometown or region. The same seems to be true for Nigeria. Family, close friends and relatives are the pillars of your network in Bulgaria, Kenya, Sweden and Britain.
So with this anecdotal story in mind, how do we create and maintain global career connections?
A. RELATIONSHIPS
1. By nurturing the friendships we have developed over the years, especially if as an expatriate we have moved several times across the globe.
2. By maintaining family ties, so important for our own mental and emotional well-being and, as the examples show, our careers.
3. By keeping in touch with alumni from schools we attended and colleagues from previous jobs we held.
B. CULTURE
1. By being open and curious about others and reaching out to fellow expatriates and locals as we arrive to a new duty station or destination. By being mindful about our own assumptions and heritage.
2. By researching the local cultural patterns through books, workshops, movies, art and with the help of a cultural informant.
3. By knowing the structure of the local job market, where to find jobs, how to identify the key players in a specific industry, organization or office, and understanding specific hiring practices.
C. TOOLS AND STRATEGY
1. Use Social media! Multiple online communities have revolutionized how we live and the nature of our relationships, intimate and distant, personal and professional.
2. Be careful about blending personal and professional online networks. You may wish to use LinkedIN for professional contacts and Facebook for personal relationships. If your personal and professional online networks are intertwined, be mindful about what information you share. How much do you want a possible future employer or colleague to know about you?
3. Create new face-to-face connections at meetings of local professional associations, your religious congregation, your gym or soccer league, or by volunteering your time or skills at a cultural, social, or academic non-profit organization.
D. NETWORKING IN THE USA (a brief intro)
1. It is OPEN and DIRECT. It is acceptable to reach out to an acquaintance or a friend of a friend of a friend to ask for career advice (but it is advisable to have a spokesperson to introduce the two of you).
2. It is a WIN-WIN philosophy. If I help you now, you can help me later and so forth. This is the core idea of the American business culture.
As popularized by Maria Bartiromo in her book The Weekend that Changed Wall Street, the banks in financial trouble were Too Connected to Fail. Your career should be the same!