The Anti-Networker's Guide to Networking

from Brazen Careerist by Jennifer Williamson

image via faculty.msb.edu

I'm probably not the only person in the world who isn't crazy about networking. Seriously...put me in a networking event, and chances are I'll be the one camped out by the chips and dip, conspicuously not talking to people. Don't get me wrong; I love to socialize, meet new people and talk about my work. But what makes me uncomfortable is socializing with an agenda. Still, we all have to do it if we want to get to the next level. Here are a few tricks I've learned that have helped me get out there and talk to people.

Remember: you're not being smarmy. You're talking about your passion. This is the biggest thing I have to remind myself every time I'm at a networking event: I'mnot selling. Selling has a bad reputation among creative types, I believe; when I sell in writing, I'm simply telling readers why whatever I'm selling is worthwhile. But in person, I feel fake when I try to sell myself.

But I love to talk about what I do. In a no-pressure social situation, I will talk all night about my job to anyone who's interested. I love explaining how web copywriting works and how I can help clients succeed, and I've landed new clients this way. In a networking event, I have to repeat to myself that I'm not selling and there's no ulterior motive here; there's just a room full of people who are interested in what I do and want to hear all about it.

Have a pitch ready. It really helps to know how to describe yourself. I just attended a 15 Second Pitch workshop with Laura Allen, who discussed how a concise pitch can land you huge opportunities in seconds. To break it down to its component parts, a good pitch contains:

1. An introduction: who you are and the name of your company;

2. What you do;

3. Why you're the best at it (your USP);

4. A call to action.

Simple, right? We write this kind of thing every day in various promotional materials. Why not create one for yourself?

Be prepared. I always forget business cards. I've got a huge new box of them sitting on my desk and they've been there for months. I never remember to bring them anywhere with me, and I'm always running into people who ask for my card. It's gotten so bad I think I'm doing it on purpose. Maybe it's because subconsciously I think the design isn't that great or the tagline I wrote on the cards is a bit cheesy. But they're not doing a good job selling me in the box.

Networking can be intimidating--especially for writers, who often prefer to work alone. But if you're willing to do it, you could land some new business--so it's worth getting good at it.

Implement Advanced "Siestas" for Improved Sleep

from Lifehacker by Azadeh Ensha

A poor night's sleep is almost guaranteed to negatively impact your day, but you don't have to get all your winks in one shot. Consider the "siesta" sleep method and other schedules to get in more quality shut-eye.

Designer Dustin Curtis chronicled his own battles for better sleep, concluding that "all you really need to survive and feel rested is the REM phase." He writes at his blog that the way to force your brain into this state is to trick it into thinking you're only going to have a tiny window of time to get your sleep on.

Specifically, he advocates going the polyphasic sleep route, a method that essentially trains the brain to enter REM for short periods of time via 20-minute naps, rather than through one long night of sleep. The post breaks down five polyphasic sleep options, the simplest of which is the "Siesta" method. This involves "just one nap in the day and then a huge chunk of sleep at night," which should shave one hour and 40 minutes off your total sleep requirements. Each method increases the number of total naps—"The Uberman" requires six 20-minute naps, for example—but each requires fairly strict adherence to the routine.

You can't miss a nap by more than a couple hours in the 2 and 3 "Everyman" methods, and you must have your naps within 30 minutes of their scheduled times for the Uberman method. If you miss a nap, the whole schedule is thrown off and you'll feel tired for days.

If you don't have the flexibile schedule needed to try out the Siesta and other listed methods, check out these less time-intensive ways to sleep smarter and better, and don't forget to select the right sleep posture once you have your plan in place.

How to Hack Your Brain, Part 1: Sleep [Dustin Curtis]

Remote Rapport-Building 101

from WebWorkerDaily by Georgina Laidlaw

Written by Georgina Laidlaw.

Today, I received a CD of images from another remote contractor, who included a blank compliments slip in the envelope, but nothing else. As someone who works remotely, I can't believe people are still doing this stuff! Are you? If so, stop it!

Think about it: You have limited contact with the people you work with. That's fine, but because you're not hanging around the office with everyone else, people don't get to see you in your "peripheral moments" — the times when you're joking with someone else, making a cup of tea, or heading out to lunch. Although these moments probably aren't central to the way we're perceived by our colleagues, I think they really do help to build rapport.

But as a remote worker, your contact is limited, and probably contains a much larger proportion of direct communication, and much less "peripheral" stuff.

So what? So you need to see that each point of contact is an opportunity to build rapport. I promise: This is what makes the difference between remote workers who are fun to work with and really part of the team, and remote workers you'd happily never work with again.

If you're in a salaried position, don't leave rapport-building to the week before your performance review. And if you're a freelancer, don't think you'll make up for it by sending a friendly card in the holiday season. You won't: The damage will have been done by then.

If you're sending a physical package to your colleague, include a personalized note. It doesn't have to be a "War and Peace"-length letter — just a quick, friendly note saying, "Here's the information you wanted. Speak soon," is far, far better than a blank compliments slip (or nothing at all). If you're sending an email, don't rely on the subject line to say what you need to explain, or trot out the old "See attached" followed by your email signature. Take a moment to type a sentence or two — you have the entire keyboard at your disposal, after all.

Include something personal — to connect with your colleagues — in every communication, and your co-workers will be able to fill in some of the gaps that form when you're not all working in the same office.

What techniques do you use to build rapport with the people you work with?

Top 105 Beautiful Job Search Company Logos (and links) That Will Wow You

from JobMob by Jacob Share

These are the most beautiful job search, human resources or recruiting company logos on the Web right now.

The top company logos in job search

#105

#104

#103

#102

#101

#100

#99

#98

#97

#96

#95

#94

#93

#92

#91

#90

#89

#88

#87

#86

#85

#84

#83

#82

#81

#80

#79

#78

#77

#76

#75

#74

#73

#72

#71

#70

#69

#68

#67

#66

#65

#64

#63

#62

#61

#60

#59

#58

#57

#56

#55

#54

#53

#52

#51

#50

#49

#48

#47

#46

#45

#44

#43

#42

#41

#40

#39

#38

#37

#36

#35

#34

#33

#32

#31

#30

#29

#28

Designed by Liora Blum

#27

#26

#25

#24

#23

#22

#21

#20

#19

#18

#17

#16

#15

#14

#13

#12

#11

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4

#3

#2

#1

Special thanks to Jessica Meher for her many suggestions in the list.

What's your favorite company logo? Tell us in the comments.

If you liked this article, you'll enjoy The 25 Most Creative Designer Resumes You'll See This Year.

Enjoy the designs? Subscribe to JobMob via RSS or email and follow me on Twitter to uncover the best designs in job search.

-- Jacob Share, Job Search Expert and Professional Blogging Consultant