Photo by Bob B. Brown on Flickr
How to use happy hour to find the next step in your career
You might think of happy hour as a place to gather with friends and co-workers, grab a beverage or two and discuss what’s going on at work. But what if you take this time out of the office to step out of your comfort zone and normal group of friends to find the next step in your career? If you’re thinking this sounds more like a dream than reality, here are some tips to get you started toward finding your next opportunity at happy hour.
1. You’ve been meaning to stay in touch, but. . . .
Is there someone from your past that you’ve been meaning to stay in touch with? Perhaps it’s an old co-worker or boss, and due to the constraints of life you have failed to keep track of each other’s careers, lives and friendship? Happy hour is the perfect reason to get back in touch. Offer to take them out to their favorite watering hole to catch up. Even if you don’t want to work at the company they’re at, or don’t think their network is applicable to the direction you want to take your career, you never know until you ask. They just might surprise you with a connection that you’ve been dying to make.
2. You’ve been meaning to introduce each other. . .
Sometimes it takes years to get two people to meet one another. For instance, you’ve invited your former assistant and brother-in-law to various events hoping they’ll both be able to make it. For one reason or another they never attend the same get-together. Make it happen. Work with both of their schedules, find a date outside of hurricane or snowstorm season, and get them connected. Why? There is nothing better than being the person who connects two people who can help each other. They might be complimentary networking partners, can refer each other business, or work in each other’s industry and can swap stories, but they are two people who should know each other. They will both likely remember that you were the “connector,” and do their best to repay the favor. When you’re in job search mode, the more connections you can make between people will only benefit you. You’ll likely see your network grow too.
3. Seek out an organized happy hour
Did you know there are groups that organize happy hours for the sole purpose of job searching? In San Francisco, Betts Recruiting holds a monthly happy hour that helps their clients find candidates, and their candidates connect with potential employers. Check out the events pages of local recruiting agencies, boutique magazines and bigger job sites to see if there’s one in your area. Chances are, they’ll tell you if there’s a specific industry or employer type that will be in attendance in addition to suggestions about what materials you should bring to be prepared. The format of the event could be fairly informal, or there could be a “speed dating” type set up where you get to spend an allotted number of minutes with each employer. This way, all the employers get to meet all the candidates, and vice versa.
4. Be a guest
Do you have a friend or co-worker that belongs to an industry group that gets together to socialize and organizes educational events? Generally, groups will offer free attendance to members who bring a friend to an event. If there’s a group you’d like to get to know before paying a big “joiners fee,” ask to be a guest. Additionally, happy hour type events are typically free because the organization doesn’t have to pay for the space to hold the event, or compensate a big name speaker to give a presentation.
The next time you are inclined to join your “same old, same old” group for happy hour, remember that going to happy hour with people you don’t get to see every day could lead you to the next step in your career.