Structured Groups

What?

Structured groups give each participant 1 to 2 minutes to make an elevator pitch to the entire group. No one should feel awkward doing this because everyone is doing it with similar intentions. These networks provide a great way to get to know others.

Why?

They work for many people. Contrary to what some believe, many members are not actively seeking employment. They may be small business owners or mid-level managers or senior executives seeking business development contacts or simply working to maintain their current networks. (See our section on network mining for more on this.) It's not uncommon for such individuals to have simultaneous hiring needs or know of others who do have positions that need to be filled.

How?

Just because you may be paying a small fee and the group may be particularly warm feeling and open, does not mean you should get your hopes up and expect immediate results.

Like any other networking endeavor, patience is a virtue. Think about it. Would you be comfortable referring someone you just met to your trusted colleagues or would you feel much more comfortable if you got to know this new acquaintance over a few months' worth of meetings?

We remain firmly convinced the number one reason why so many individuals fail at networking is that they don’t stick with it long enough to begin to see results.

Who?

Some of the more popular so-called structured career related networking groups include BMI (an organization with chapters in most major cities), the Five O'Clock Club, and the Financial Executives Networking Group, also known as FENG. There are also many highly effective local networking groups that lack national coordinators.

If you're not familiar with any structured groups in your area, ask around. Doing so is likely the only way you'll uncover any of the highly effective local networking groups mentioned in the preceding paragraph. (Yes, again we emphasize the importance of the traditional networks. We really do believe it's that important.) Chances are good that there are some excellent groups that fit your needs right under your nose.