Networking in creative places
I was reading an article on a recruiting web site about where to go to source candidates. And I started thinking to myself that if a recruiter goes somewhere to source candidates then that might be a good place for a candidate to go and look to meet contacts. This article made one suggestion of where you can go to find candidates – a bar.
Now before you think this is crazy listen to the thinking behind it. The thinking behind this theory is that every company has an unofficial company bar – the local watering hole where employees go for happy hour on Friday or the day before a holiday. The thinking is that a recruiter can become a regular in the company bar of the targeted company and befriend employees who might be unhappy and looking for a better opportunity.
So if this theory can work for a recruiter looking for candidates, why can’t it work for the candidate looking for a new opportunity?
You might ask “how do you find out what bar is the company bar”? There are a few ways. First, find out the geographic location of the company or companies where you would like to work. When you find out where the building is located you can search the area for local bars. Make friends with the bartenders and they can tell you if employees frequent there. Some companies require the employees wear ID badges. Many people don’t take them off right away after work. (I know my husband has walked around for hours after work still wearing his ID badge.) Become a regular in this establishment and you might start to befriend employees. You can take the pulse of the company by networking with them, and see if there are any openings.
This technique is not for the shy or faint of heart. I know that personally I would not be able to do this. But if you have some confidence and courage this could be a fun way to network with others in your industry and perhaps find your next job.