Two Networking Conversation Starters

Looking for a job?

Raise your hand if you love networking.

I thought so.

And why don't you get a thrill out of talking to friends and family about your job search?

For many folks, it's a problem of how to start. There's really no way to ask, "Know anyone who's hiring?" without feeling awkward.

To fix that, here are two ways to open your next networking conversation that are proven to produce job leads -- and won't make you feel self-conscious.

1) Use Me as an Excuse to Call
Over the past year, I've quietly been perfecting a short networking script at my Guerrilla Job Search seminars.

Here's the four-part script that people are using to start networking conversations by phone, with explanatory notes in parentheses:

For best results, use this script to call the most-connected person you know -- the one person who seems to know almost everybody.

Here are three examples of how this has worked in my seminars:

2) Use an Object as a Conversation Starter
Chris Russell, founder of JobRadio.fm, warns that a false sense of pride can hurt your job search, recalling a friend who struggled mightily to get hired. "He would never tell people that he was out of work, even his former co-workers. I guess he was embarrassed."

Russell points out that, when it comes to your job search, you should look for any excuse to start a conversation.

Described as an "attention getting conversation starter" by its makers, the wristband retails for $3 and comes in bright yellow, with the message, "I Need A Job."

The idea is, you put wear the wristband each day, people see it, ask about your job search, and -- shazam! Instant networking conversation. More information is at www.LaidOffNeedAJob.com.

Two other tactics I've seen are renting a billboard (pricey) and wearing a T-shirt with your resume on it (no verifiable successes).

Now. How else could you get attention and start networking conversations?

Here's an idea: Stick a magnetic sign on the side of your car.

Nobody wants to hire, but almost every business needs help, so don't use "Hire me!" or "Famous University Grad Will Work Cheap" as your headline.

The format I would follow is: "Need YOUR SKILL Help? CONTACT INFO."

Test several ideas on cardboard mockup signs and drive them past people, to see if they can read your contact info at 25 or 40 miles an hour.

(Note: I practice what I preach -- look for my black SUV around the Twin Cities with a magnetic sign on the side that says, "Got Work? My New Job Hunt .com")

Do these conversation-starting ideas make you feel uncomfortable? Good!