As part of my networking efforts, whenever I could, I tried to meet with people. That was my goal, as I knew it was the most effective way to find a job. Whenever I contacted people, whether by email or telephone, I asked, “When is a convenient time to meet?”
It is amazing how difficult it can be to arrange a simple meeting. Some people seem to always have time for meetings, but most people are so busy, they barely ever have time for even a single meeting, spontaneous or not. I arranged meetings whenever I could, but often it took weeks or even months to find a convenient time—if my contact was willing to meet at all.
I also attended professional networking events and presentations sponsored by the International Association of Financial Engineers (IAFE), Professional Risk Managers International Association (PRMIA) and the MIT Sloan Club of New York.
The presentations and panels were usually interesting, but sometimes I just did not speak with anyone other than the person sitting next to me.
At successful events, however, I had captivating conversations with at least several small groups of people over wine and cheese and went home with half a dozen or more business cards and plenty of follow-up work for the next day.
I thought I was doing all the right things—networking, making calls and sending out hundreds of resumes—but I still could not find a job.
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