As we've discussed, meeting people, forming relationships, and having conversations are the key pieces to getting your foot in the door at any company. It's important to be proactive in your approach to outreach and networking, so it's necessary to make a plan for what you'll try to further your networking.
Identify a contact you will reach out to by the end of this module. This could be a mentor, alum, or anyone from your current network. Describe:
- Who is your contact, why do you want to connect with them, and what do you want to talk about?
Mark Reis (Site Reliability Engineer at Google, 13 years). The environment and community at the Boulder Google offices.
- When will you contact them by and how do you plan to meet?
Initially, I contacted him by email last week. I reserved time to talk when he is in town at he end of September. We will sit down lunch when he gets to town.
- What will your follow-up look like once you've met with them
Ask if he would be willing to provide more advice on the job search and my current time line.
Email and a note to his wife thanking her for lending him to me for lunch.
- What other steps will you take to start building a stronger network in the tech community?
LinkedIn. Started coding a few site for friends of friends, where the initial friend was too busy to help. Meet-ups and I have a few meeting with Turing grads that are clients of my wife.