It Does Not Cost Anything to be Polite

I heard Tubby Smith, the University of Minnesota’s head basketball coach, tell a story about his upbringing which included his parents’ advice: “It does not cost anything to be polite”.

That’s a saying you should take to heart when networking for a new job.

Here’s my rule: Besides feeling good about yourself – in networking you never know who knows who – so just be polite to everyone.

This is not to say you’ll be tempted. I experienced people who were pretty rude, to which I simply closed down the meeting quickly and moved on. For the really bad ones, I cursed when I got into the car (windows rolled up, of course).

I know this seems like a basic topic and most people take their behavior for granted. However, I hear a 'horror story' every week about how bad a candidate was in their networking: showing up late, cutting answers short, being quick as a whip to dismiss ideas, etc.

Many times the behavior can be chalked up to cramming too much in a day and being eager to get their story out.

But I still hear the stories and if I hear about it - assume that dozens other have heard it as well.

The punchline: Do yourself a favor and just pay attention at a few meetings to make sure you are good to go.

Good luck today!

Mark Richards

www.candidateschair.com
Job Search from a Candidate's Perspective - Advice and tools for search organization and networking

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