If you are a professional who works within an office support setting, think of the resources you used to help you find your most recent job. Does networking come to mind? If not, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to get in front of hiring decision makers, ranging from human resources professionals to the executives you could be supporting.

“Though ‘traditional methods’ of job searching such as applying to jobs through job boards are definitely good resources to utilize, networking events have more of a human element to them,” explains Erin McCarthy, Director of The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support and Human Resources divisions.  “This human element is important because it allows you to build personal connections with people who could ultimately help your job search.”

As a result, Erin suggests that administrative professionals attend all the networking events they can, regardless of whether or not the topic being discussed seems relevant to them.  “Remember, if you are a job seeker or simply someone interested in learning about new career opportunities, one of your main goals should be to meet decision makers who can either help you get an in with their company, or refer you to someone who they think you could connect with,” advises Erin.  “Therefore, when researching events to attend, make sure you pay more attention to the industry the event is targeting and who the attendees are than the actual topic or title of the event.  This information, not the topic, is more important to your job search.” At each event you attend, make it your goal to hand out at least 5 business cards.  If you have access to the attendee list before the event starts, it may be helpful to do some research on the attendees to decide who would be the best people for you to introduce yourself to.

Once you are at the event, when connecting with these professionals, if it feels appropriate, it’s important to be able to tell your story and how this relates to your career path.  “People are interested in hearing stories,” explains Erin.  “If you can come across as genuine, hard-working, and motivated, most people will be interested in helping you; something I can personally attest to.”

Another piece of advice that Erin always gives her candidates before attending any networking event (or interview) is to make sure they are educated on current events.  “Whether you just skim the newspaper every morning, or listen to the news for 5 minutes, it’s important that you have an understanding of what is going on in the world.  Talking about a current event is not only an excellent ice breaker but you also never want to be caught off guard by a question about something that you have no idea about.“

Finally, Erin stresses the importance of sending a thank you note to everyone you connected with.  “Sending a personalized thank you note to your new contacts is not only common courtesy, but also a good strategy for helping them remember you.”  Your note shouldn’t be overly promotional, so air on the side of caution and simply write a quick note expressing your gratitude, and desire to stay in touch.  It will be this note that will encourage them to reach back out to you.