Does the idea of working to develop strong networking skills make you feel uncomfortable? Many people react to the idea of going to a networking event with as much enthusiasm as taking a test – a test that they don’t know how to study for. And when you approach networking as if you’re a product that you’re trying to sell, it often leads to that cringe-y feeling of being a shameless self-promoter or a schmoozer. Regardless of how you might feel about it, professional networking provides the opportunity to make authentic connections with people. And if those connections are good ones, they lead to business opportunities and shared success. What if, instead of going to networking events with the intent to sell, you went to them with the intent to create connections that are based on mutual understanding and assistance? An authentic approach to networking This article isn’t about tricky techniques for building professional connections to shamelessly assist your job search or to weasel your way into relationships with companies you want as customers. Yes, networking skills will help you reach your professional goals, but this goes far beyond that. In this article, I’m going to challenge the way you think about professional networking so you can not just meet new contacts, but also build your confidence in networking situations, share your expertise, grow industry knowledge, and maybe even make some new friends. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ama La Vida | Career, Life & Leadership Coaching (@alvcoaching) What are networking skills? Networking skills are communication skills, like being able to speak clearly and succinctly, being good at active listening, using and reading body language and facial expressions, and even navigating and making the most of social media. But if you don’t know what the purpose of networking is, no amount of skill-building will help you get the most out of it. Networking is, quite simply, the art of creating mutual understanding that enables the creation of mutual benefit. A complete list of networking skills includes knowing the logic behind what to ask and what to share. How to improve your ability to network Sometimes people measure their networking by how many business cards they collect or give away at local events. But if you don’t understand what’s important to the people you’re trading cards with, and if you don’t help other people understand what is important to you, you’re not really networking. Networking is simple to learn but takes practice to master. The first step is to know what the “mission” of networking is. There are three things at a minimum that you want to discover in any networking opportunity – and you want them to discover these things about you, too. 3 things to focus on when you meet people: It’s all about creating mutual understanding and finding shared interests. If you can answer these three questions about someone after talking to them, you know that you are doing well. And if the other person knows these things about you, then you’re on your way to mastery. The foundation of building and maintaining relationships Let’s say you’re networking and you meet someone who is, say, a manager for a local bank. As you make small talk you learn: After hearing this, you might think: “I know someone who does corporate training – maybe I could connect them.” Or maybe you do corporate training, and it’s an opportunity for you. Or maybe you have some advice and thoughts you could share from your unique perspective. No matter what comes to mind, it will be better and more relevant to the other person if you’ve taken the time to understand them first. By first understanding someone and only then trying to help them, you demonstrate your willingness to be of service – which makes a great impression and can be the beginning of a great relationship. What are your personal networking goals? When you network, you’re working to achieve mutual understanding and mutual benefit. You can prepare ahead of time by asking yourself: You might have more than one thing you’re trying to do, but for each thing you are trying to do (#1, above), be ready to talk about its corresponding #2 and #3. And when you talk about these things, be clear and concise. An elevator pitch is approximately 30 seconds to two-and-a-half minutes. Ideally, have a 30-second version, and longer versions if people show more interest. Develop authentic connections When you think of networking as a way to “sell” people on who you are, you miss the opportunity to make an authentic connection. You might hesitate to share what you’re grappling with and what you are looking for. Being vulnerable isn’t part of a typical sales pitch. But networking isn’t selling. It’s connecting. By sharing what you do, as well as your obstacles and aspirations, you give people the opportunity to trust you, understand you, and even to give you assistance, advice or introductions. If you like to help people, don’t forget to be generous and give other people the chance to help you! After all, if you like to help others, don’t you think they might like to help you? The Benjamin Franklin Effect When someone does a favor for another person, they are more likely to feel positively towards the person they helped. Benjamin Franklin once identified a rival legislator who he wanted to win over. Franklin asked if he could borrow a rare book from the legislator’s library. The legislator was flattered and sent the book immediately. Franklin returned it one week later with a thank-you note. The surprising outcome was that this simple request for a favor led to a significant shift in their relationship. They became friends from that point forward. Franklin concluded that the man, having done him a favor, convinced himself that he must like Franklin after all, because why else would he have done him a favor in the first place? By giving someone

Let’s face it, changing careers can be scary! But did you know that the average person spends 90,000 hours at a job? If you’ve been unhappy at work, sticking it out won’t get you a medal. Instead it can lead to frustration and burnout. Changing careers can be scary or overwhelming, especially if you’ve been in your current job for a long time, but we’re here to give you a concrete action plan to help you get started. Let’s dig into how to change to a career that makes those 90,000 hours go by a little smoother. How did we get here? Have you been thinking “I need a new career!” but feel stuck? You’re in good company—Oracle did a study that found that 75% of people feel stuck in their current job. There could be several reasons for feeling stuck. Maybe someone talked you into pursuing the career path you’re currently on. Maybe you were enticed because it was prestigious. Maybe you were already on the path and didn’t realize that you didn’t want it until it was “too late. Maybe the problem is just your current situation with a bad boss or bad culture. Maybe it’s just the wrong fit. There could be a myriad of reasons for this, but let’s face it, you need a change. Our career transition process Ama La Vida helps those who are looking for a career change from their current job. They have amazing coaches across numerous industries who will walk with their clients to help them determine their next career move. And it doesn’t hurt that they break it down into 10 easy steps to help their clients with this process that could feel daunting alone. 10 steps to make a career change Starting a career transition can feel like a really big change. This article will give you an overview of The Ama La Vida Career Method process, which walks you through 10 steps in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. Our process starts with you as the foundation to determine where to look, and then sees what careers lineup with you. Then we’ll walk you through specific steps to land a new role that aligns with who you are. We also have a team of career coaches who can help by coaching, providing resources, and creating action plans that move you toward your new career path. Ready? Let’s go! Step 1: Passions and gifts Let’s start easy: what do you like and what are you good at? The first step to determining your next career is identifying your passions and your gifts. Explore your passions When you think about your passion, think about what lights you up at work? Where do you lose track of time? What are you interested in doing or learning more about? These are your work passions that bring you energy. Identify your gifts When you think about your gifts, think about what comes naturally to you? What do others compliment you on? Where does your expertise shine? These are your gifts and skills that you bring to the table. Don’t rush this self-assessment – these are the things that you will likely want in your next role. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ama La Vida | Career, Life & Leadership Coaching (@alvcoaching) Step 2: Values and purpose The next steps of this self-discovery portion are determining what your values are and what your purpose is. Define your values When you think about your values, think about the pillars that you need – if one of these pillars was missing, the house would not stand. You can usually determine what a value is by how you react when that value is violated. For this one, what are the areas of your life that are vital to your happiness or key to your view of the world? This might be family, endurance, loyalty, or grace. Name your purpose A purpose can feel like a very lofty thing, but let’s break it down. Ask yourself, what problem would you like to solve at work? What kind of impact do you enjoy making? What brings you that feeling of success? Use these answers as your starting point to determine what impact you’d like to make in your next role (your work purpose). Step 3: Explore and understand your options Once you’ve laid your foundation that is based on YOU, then you begin to explore your options in finding a new career. Brainstorm career options Start out by making a list of potential jobs. Go through each of the previous categories of personal traits you listed in steps 1 and 2, and write down every possible idea related to each of these. Keep an open mind and come up with a list of potential options – this is where we cast a wide net. Don’t forget to ask others for ideas and advice. Be sure to get input from those who know you best. Ask them what roles they think you’d be good at and why. When making this list, you can even think of roles you’ve previously worked to gather more ideas of what you want. Once you have that long list, you’ll want to narrow it down. Bring in your gifts, passions, values, and purpose to determine what is a good fit and what isn’t. Remember, you want to find a job that’s a good fit for YOU, not the other way around. Once you’ve created your list, you’ll want to understand the roles on your list. You should be able to answer what a day in the life is actually like and what the daily tasks and responsibilities are. You can do this by doing your research to learn the ins and outs of these jobs, asking for information interviews, etc. You’ll also want to fully understand the requirements. What training is required? Will you need to learn a new technology or obtain additional education? Will you have to go back