Thoughtful, considerate networking creates lasting sources of information, support and friendship that pay dividends in countless other contexts. Bad networkers milk short-term interactions. Once re-employed, they allow their networks to atrophy, confirming suspicions that they were interested solely in personal gain. But the consequences of their behaviors persist regardless. Before every networking meeting, job seekers should pause and view the transaction from the contact s eyes.
Respect is top on their list of needs, and it s their job to provide it.
Mr. Richardson, an NBEW columnist, is director of Key Executive Services for Right Management Consultants in Philadelphia.