Where are they now? Reconnecting With Old Contacts

Reconnecting With Old Contacts For An Improved Executive Job Search

Networking isn’t just a matter of reaching out to your contacts from your current position, especially during a job search . This is a time when you should actively seek every possible contact with an eye to reconnecting to even your oldest and dustiest connections in order to cast your net as widely as possible. During a job search is the perfect time to dredge your memory for those long ago up-and-comers and play a dedicated game of “Where are they now?”.  Reconnecting with old contacts can make all the difference, here are some tips to help you.

Using Socal Media and Alumni Directories to Reconnect

I encourage my clients to look on social media for their former bosses, peers, and employees. Not just from recent positions, but going back to the start of their careers. While searching for your eMBA cohort may be easily done with your alumni directory, look farther back in time, too, even seeking out student peers at university. You never know who may be in a hiring position or at least be able to generate a lead.

Bring Value – Give Before Receiving

Once you find even a single contact from a particular era in your past career, that can be a stepping stone to finding others. Especially on LinkedIn, where once you are connected on the social media platform you can see your connection’s contacts as well. So, use every name you can remember, and you’ll be able to use your renewed contacts’ connections and networking efforts to your own advantage. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for something of value you can offer in return. Open positions, connections to great recruiters, or simply news of other mutual connections. When you give as well as receive, you’re making a positive impression when renewing those old connections. You never know when that might come back to benefit you!

Get reconnecting with old contacts and jumpstart your job search.