CMU School of Drama


Saturday, December 29, 2012

Use the "Layoff Test" to Build Your Professional Network

lifehacker.com: Your professional network may be just as valuable a job hunting tool as your resume, but if you haven't kept it up to date and you're not in touch with the people you're closest to, now's the time to reach out. Use the "Layoff Test" to beef up your professional network and strengthen those bonds now, when you don't need anything from them but their friendship.

1 comment:

Madeleine Wester said...

I definitely think it's important to keep in touch with references and colleagues you're close with. This article doesn't really offer any new information I haven't read before, but it does do a good job of repeating the most important aspects of networking. It can be difficult maintaining relationships, but you should never suddenly be in a situation where references listed on your resume haven't talked to you in years. Personally, I get socially anxious and unsure what to say/when to reach out to past colleagues or coworkers. Hopefully I can learn to keep in touch with people I work with and I can use that to my advantage. My past high school Technical Director did a great job of teaching us how to maintain business-like relationships with others in a way that shows them you are trustworthy and worth staying in touch with. I think that is a very valuable skill that everyone should be taught in high school at some point.