Career advice from your bank?

You would never think you would receive career networking tips from your local bank, but that’s just what I received this week and they’re actually pretty useful. So useful, I’ll share them now.

My bank sent along “Seven Ways to Maximize the Value of Networking Meetings” by Bruce L. Katcher, who considers himself an industrial/organizational psychologist. Indeed I was surprised.

The first and most important piece of advice? “Be strategic about which meetings you attend” according to Katcher. Networking in the wrong places won’t help you or your career contacts. When deciding which networking groups to join, consider how much time is actually available to network. Some professional groups have very few, if any committees and don’t allow time for networking. Avoid these meetings.
Different networking groups offer different benefits.

Katcher recommends joining a group that will enable you to keep abreast of the latest developments in your field. Also, he says you should join a career networking group that will enable you to learn more about self-marketing, interviewing, and making a successful transition. Ideally you’d like a group that will allow you to interact with prospective employers and clients.

I really never thought about the meetings I attend, however I do get different things out of different meetings and organizations. From The Institute for Supply Management I get the professional side of purchasing. In Toastmasters I get the chance to give speeches and improve my leadership skills. In the Daughters of the American Revolutions, I talk ancestry. Recently at a meeting I attended it was mentioned that there were eight major players in the supply management professional organizations.
Can anyone name the eight? I can’t.

The other steps Katcher recommends are:

2. Become Active
3. Attend Meetings with the Right Mindset
4. Ask Questions
5. Come Early and Stay Late
6. Follow-up immediately
7. Don’t try to sell.

Thanks to my bank for sending me this information!