Networking opportunities can happen in the strangest times and places. (I once witnessed friends connect with their new jobs at the funeral of a former co-worker!)
Hurricane Sandy is one of those strange times. If you know someone who might have been in the path of Hurricane Sandy (basically anyone in the Midatlantic or Northeast regions of the USA), this storm is a great reason to get back in touch.
Even though the storm has passed, Sandy can be a topic/excuse/reason for sending someone an email or giving them a quick call.
Reconnecting with Individuals
Think about it – have you lost touch with a former boss or co-worker, a favorite professor, friend(s) from the Army (or other Service), former college roommates or lab partners. Whoever in your past you might still have a valid email address for and who you wish well during this storm.
Note: If you don’t have a current email address, check LinkedIn to see if they are there, and you should be able to send an InMail. Or, Google them to see if you can find them in an online directory.
In the case of a natural disaster, like Hurricane Sandy, simply send a short email, saying:
- You’ve been hearing a lot about the storm (or whatever) in the news.
- You know that they were in or near the path of the storm. (Check their LinkedIn Profiles for their location, if you aren’t sure.)
- You hope that they and their friends and family members are safe.
The message doesn’t need to be more than a few lines long, and it may not be read until long after the storm is history. But, it’s a nice friendly way of wishing the person good luck with the storm, or saying you hope they can stay safe and dry. Perhaps you can even make it joke of some sort (e.g., Maybe now you won’t need to rake all those leaves you always complain about!).
Apply this process to any kind of news event, even a much smaller one – like someone landing a new job, changing employers, getting promoted, getting married, becoming a parent or other “news” in someone’s life. Reach out with your good wishes, and reconnect, too!
The holidays – any holiday – can, of course, be a wonderful reason for reconnecting. From the traditional year end holidays we have in the USA to less “signifcant” ones like Arbor Day, April Fool’s Day (careful!), Homemade Bread Day (Nov. 17), and many more.
Sad events can be powerful for reconnecting, too – the death of a family member, loss of a job, or damage to a home or car because of an event like Sandy, for example. Again, keep it short, express your condolences, and see if there is anything you can do to help.
Connecting with Groups, Too!
Apply this same logic, and send a similar message to whole groups on LinkedIn (e.g. Northeast Human Resources Association members or whatever group is appropriate for you), as long as the message would apply to everyone in the group. Search the LinkedIn Group Directory for ideas.
Bottom Line
“Networking” doesn’t need to be hard or scary. Simply sincerely wishing someone well can be all that is needed to get rolling on reconnecting with someone. Enjoy getting back in touch!
© Copyright, 2013, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
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About the author…
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Susan also edits and publishes WorkCoachCafe.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Google+.