I Network, You Network, He, She, It Networks…
Do future MBAs emerge from the womb with business card in hand? Greet their preschool pals with a firm, not fishy, handshake? HBS alumni so frequently mention the lifelong benefits of connections made at Soldiers Field that I’ve always assumed their networking skills were honed sometime before the second grade.
A lunchtime “Beyond the Job Bank” session in Spangler Auditorium with Jodi R.R. Smith, president of “etiquette consulting” firm Mannersmith, taught me otherwise. Smith, whose advice has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the Washington Post, was most recently interviewed on the CBS Early Show about holiday tipping in a recession. In no-nonsense, rapid-fire style, the neatly-coiffed brunette whipped through the many sticky wickets that can plague a job-hunting MBA, answering perennial questions asked at earlier HBS appearances. Not surprisingly, many of the questions were generated by that odd ritual, the recruiting event. Her visit was sponsored by MBA Career Services.
“You really have to be on your game in a recessionary economy,” Smith cautioned a gathering of about fifty students. “Make the recruiter’s job as easy as possible. They’re just trying to figure out who to bring back for an interview.”
One of the first student questions showed that HBSers experience the same basic social dilemmas we all do: “Do I need to wear a suit and tie?”
“I always answer that with another question,” said Smith. “Do you want the job? An event at Fenway Park or someplace similar is the obvious exception.”
“How do I eat and drink at company presentations and receptions?”
“Don’t,” Smith advised. “Eat in advance, or afterward.” Your drink is a prop that you hold in your non-dominant hand.” Yes, do hold a glass of seltzer, but only for use as a prop to help maintain what Smith describes as “an open body stance.” No crossed arms (common for women) and definitely no fidgety hands in pockets (common for men).
Other tips? Approach with confidence. Introduce yourself with a piece of information that will help jog the recruiter’s memory later. Leave an event earlier, rather than later. Don’t linger and give a recruiter some reason to decide he or she would rather not see you again. “Understand your goal,” Smith counseled. “It’s to be invited back, not to get a job offer on the spot.”
The etiquette of thank-you notes was also discussed. An e-mailed missive is okay, but Smith made a strong case for the old-fashioned, handwritten communication delivered via snail mail as a way to “float to the top” and set yourself apart from the herd. “Write the note so that there is no obligation to respond,” Smith cautioned. “Don’t ask questions.”
Why all the fuss about such small details, anyway? “Observable social behaviors are signals of our competence,” she said simply. “I want you to be your best self: assertive, yet deferential and polite.”
After Smith’s presentation I overheard a few skeptical students wondering if a recruiter who essentially lives on the road would pick up his or her office mail (and any snail-mailed thank-you notes) in a timely fashion. Others wondered at her advice to mention personal interests that had come up in conversation (maybe the recruiter owns and breeds Portuguese water dogs, for example) in any follow-up correspondence. Wasn’t that being too familiar? My sense is that the students weren’t buying every word of Smith’s advice. But in this economy, they were more than willing to hear her out. Politely.
Your Comments
Good post. I always find the little social dances we feel to do in the 'working world' comical at times, albeit necessary.
I am a business broker and sometimes feel I put my clients at ease when I go to on-site meetings "sans-tie"... and sometimes I feel grossly under-presented when I do without. My hats off to the new grads that can successfully navigate these waters, since many 'old pros' are still trying to figure things out.
Good article... sound advice for anyone figuring it out as they go along!
Useful information, and the speaker's advice sounds pretty on-point given my experiences over the last two decades. Regarding the students' skepticism on certain points, it is true that there is no single right answer to every situation - a great deal depends on the mindset of the person you are dealing with and what they would view as appropriate. This could depend on their own background, age, etc. The most important thing is to be able to connect with the recruiter, which usually leads to standing out in a positive way.
Thanks for your post Julia. In my experience been interviewed by business owners looking for a broker to sell their businesses, I have always noticed that I was much more convincing when I was professionally dressed "wearing a suit and tie". I generally ended up signing a listing. This is no coincidence. Your advice to new graduates applies to any social gathering for business purposes. We are humans and we are very influenced by appearance. While we strive to make objective decisions, our decisions are generally influenced by our emotions. So let's dress professionally, behave professionally and be more successful in business.