You may have have heard that networking is one of the keys to job search success. Yet some people are hesitant to use their network of contacts for fear, among other reasons, that the connection will be bothered by any request for help. This is where having a strategy that makes it easier for your connections to introduce you to others can bring more success.

The project plan is a way for you to plan out the activities that you need to accomplish to successfully find a job.  At the outset you need to develop general categories of activities like developing a resume, networking, and researching companies.

If you are introverted, the thought of going to a networking event may fill you full of dread. As an introvert myself, I can tell you that it can get easier.  As I was helping my introvert child prepare for a networking event, we talked about some strategies to make the evening go better. After coming back from the event, he said that it went much better than he would have thought. He talked to a few people and seemed to enjoy himself. Success! 

Here are some suggestions I have to make a networking event productive and less intimidating: