when your mentor won’t respond to your emails by Alison Green on October 7, 2016 A reader writes: I graduated from college nearly two years ago, and am looking for a professional mentor. I’ve worked at my current job at a small nonprofit since October. After working in a similar but very corporate field for the past two years, I know this is where I want to be. A family […] Read the full article →
when does following up with people about meetings or favors turn into being a pest? by Alison Green on May 12, 2016 A reader writes: I have a question regarding two different scenarios I am dealing with that share a commonality: how often to follow up without being irritating. The first scenario involves a company that I have been in touch with regarding consulting opportunities. This company does consulting projects with other companies in my industry, and […] Read the full article →
why won’t people answer my networking emails? by Alison Green on May 11, 2016 A reader writes: I attend any conventions where I meet with a variety of people and get a lot of business cards. My usual networking M.O. is to follow up with an email asking about themselves, their company, what they are working on and — because I’m trying to move into a new field — if […] Read the full article →
am I being stingy with my contacts? by Alison Green on March 7, 2016 A reader writes: Four years ago, I worked at a company that hired a junior person to assist an adjacent department. She was never my assistant and I did not work closely with her; in fact, she only touched one project for my group. We were not close, but we were friendly and I think […] Read the full article →
8 embarrassing LinkedIn mistakes by Alison Green on February 22, 2016 LinkedIn can be a pretty awesome tool for networking, expanding your contacts, and even finding jobs, but it has its own unique etiquette land mines. Here are eight of the most common faux pas people make on LinkedIn – and how to make sure that you avoid them. 1. Sending generic connection requests. It was probably […] Read the full article →
how to turn down requests to meet, network, or pick your brain by Alison Green on March 23, 2015 Gain even a little bit of success in your field, and you’re likely to start getting requests from strangers or near-strangers to meet, network or “pick your brain.” In the beginning, you might enjoy this – it’s flattering, after all, and it can be a way to pay forward help that you yourself received from […] Read the full article →
is my mentor ignoring my emails? by Alison Green on February 26, 2015 A reader writes: While I worked at a mid-sized company, I developed a wonderful mentor relationship with one of my managers. He has always been very supportive, offering to be my job reference, etc. After 2.5 years working together, I left to work abroad at another company for 1.5 years. We kept in touch while […] Read the full article →
actually useful questions to ask in informational interviews by Alison Green on February 3, 2015 A reader writes: You’ve written before about how NOT to behave in an informational interview (i.e. use it to try to get a job), but I wonder what you recommend to get the most out of them when you’re approaching the meeting with the proper mindset. I’m about six months away from getting a masters […] Read the full article →
was I rude to this stranger who wanted to connect on LinkedIn? by Alison Green on December 23, 2014 A reader writes: I received a connection request from a stranger on LinkedIn, and by the end, we both ended up feeling that the other person had been very rude. I followed my instincts and didn’t engage further than the conversation reproduced below. I still think about what I’d say to set this guy straight […] Read the full article →
is this request from a networking contact weird? by Alison Green on December 19, 2014 A reader writes: I am transitioning out of my current career (military) and am in the job search process. I recently received a LinkedIn connection request from someone who claims to run a nonprofit to help veterans in my particular skill area find civilian jobs. From his profile, he looks pretty legitimate, with lots of […] Read the full article →