I have had decent success in reaching out to professionals in both consulting and banking to introduce myself, hear about their journey and questions I have for them. However, after a great intro call, I feel bad because I would like to keep the relationship going and check in maybe once every other month, but I:
a) Don't want to be 'that kid' who just asks questions
b) Be a waste of their time
How do you cultivate a genuine relationship with a professional on LinkedIn, and feel like a value-add to that other person, even if we are in two completely different fields? These are people that I could possibly tap into for a job later, but I don't like feeling like a leech. It feels selfish to me to just use someone for general info and a referral just to forget about them after
Staying in touch is important. Doing it the right way is just as, if not more important. Always be respectful of their time. Ask them if they want to stay in touch, be updated, etc. If they do, let them know about significant updates. Say you joined a finance club and got elected into leadership, tell them what you are actually doing with that to bring value to the group. If there was an interesting topic discussed in their area of expertise that you want a deeper understanding of, you may reach out and ask them a question or two.
In terms of providing them value, sounds nice but unrealistic. I guess you could say the value you bring them is giving them an opportunity to "give back" which many professionals enjoy!
If you like their company and want to pursue an interview, at some point you need to skillfully turn that in to asking for help (closing situation - which they'll appreciate).
Initially after hearing about their journey, you may ask questions regarding what you can do over the next 12 months to better prepare yourself for recruiting. Things like that.
hjohnny,
First, I think you will be fine simply b/c you are asking the question. If you have enough common sense to know you shouldn't be inundating these people daily, you probably have enough common sense to figure out the frequency of your reaching out as well as your venturing further into a relationship.
One thing I find interesting is that young people so often feel as though they're being nothing but a nuisance when asking questions of these people they are seeking out as mentors. These young people never stop to consider that the relationship may often-times be symbiotic. What I mean is that for a senior guy, sometimes, getting so far past the memories of beginning their careers can be a sobering reality. Many realize, once approached, that "hey, I actually have some chops now. I could actually help this guy if I wanted to!"
Getting off on a tangent, but trying to impress upon you that even though these people are busy, most understand the importance of networking, and many are always on the lookout for raw talent.
If you're trying to just cultivate a LNKD relationship, perhaps you could ask the contact if they would mind if you sent them an occasional question, complete with the scenario, so that they get the full picture. If they're amenable, they'll usually offer an email address.
Try to establish rules, such as: If it is okay with you, I would like to send you 1 or 2 questions/week. Would that be acceptable? If the answer is yes, every week thereafter, send AT LEAST 2 questions.
Try to slowly get a gauge on their personal interests. It will take a while, but once you have gotten your proverbial foot in the door, perhaps if they enjoy golf, or automobiles, or flying, etc. etc. etc., you could wait for the right time and then invite them to a special event that you are pretty certain is something that would interest them (even if it costs you some dough). Don't know of your monetary status currently, and have not idea if you have a BDA, but sometimes spending a little money can take you a long way,
My best suggestions are to:
lastly, and sorry for the long post, but I'm pretty adamant about trying to help folks just starting out: When you honestly seek out the counsel of others who have experience and years on you, most of them are honestly trying to help. With the advent of the internet, I've seen both the best and worst of what it has to offer. Point is: take advantage if/when you find someone who is willing to give you good, solid advice simply b/c you asked. There are countless senior executives, senior department/division managers/ senior...... (fill in the blank) who are now retired but who still have a sharp mind and want to stay involved.
That symbiotic relationship I spoke about earlier is what I'm referring to above. It's been nearly 9 years ago now, but on an investing forum, where I usually provided 10:1 advice over questions, someone who had experience and years on me actually pointed out an error I had made in a calculation on an options question. Instead of getting offended, I genuinely asked for an explanation, which I got.
Short version of the story is: the guy literally traded in the pits on the street in the 80s and 90s, worked for one of the largest wirehouses on the street for over 30 years and had enough money such that it literally just wasn't an object. He'd moved to TX and now his biggest worries were whether his rose garden got enough water and shade.
However, he still ran his own dividend portfolio, just to stay in the game, spent a couple days a week on a few of the sites out there, and he taught me a great deal about personal investing. I will be forever in debt to the man. Although I never met him in person, I considered him a friend. Now that he I gone, the only thing I could possibly do to show my appreciation to Don is to reach out and try to help others, just as he did for me.
Thank you for this guidance. You're right, I should not feel guilty about seeking out that type of relationship. It doesn't annoy me when undergrads reach out to me. I'll be more bold when approaching this. I'm sure I'll easily gage if I'm bothering someone
2 questions a week? Jesus christ! Thats way too much. i keep contacts updated when I start a new position or am coming up to NYC for coffee.
Perhaps you didn't read the entire response. I stated to him that if he asked someone to become a mentor, and if he told said mentor he would send at least 2 questions each week, he should keep his word.
Not telling him to load down a potential contact, but to keep your word if you tell someone you'll do something.
BTW, I've had mentees ask me A LOT more than 2 questions/week. Of course, most of those were in the office, but still, 2 isn't out in left field if you understand the situation.
I hate giving updates about what I'm doing. Always felt weird to me unless it is something major like a job offer. What I try and do (admittedly I'm not very good at keeping up with it) is to periodically send articles that have to do with whatever their focus is. I'll tell them I think its interesting, make a short commentary, and ask what they think about it.
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