Networking, Networking, Networking

It's certainly the buzzword of our times and according to my career coach - one of the most effective ways of getting that all important job.

I am a bit of a strange character of sorts and at times can be a demon networker and others be a shrinking violet in the corner who just wants to go home. All these observations were confirmed by psychometric testing in the past year - I have a personality of extremes and not one typical for a marketer.

Anyway, I digress yet again. In terms of networking I've been focusing on 2 things - attending things connected with fundraising which I ideally want to move into. The other is the online networking side of things.

In terms of face to face networking I tend to give myself a goal each time or else I'd just skulk away with nothing. It normally comprises talking to x amount of people or asking a question etc. Nothing drastic but at least something. I am building up a nice little network of friends so it is working. Plus some of them even email me links to jobs that they hear of which is fab.

I did do a very funny thing though - please bear in mind that one of my nicknames is 'blond'. Kind of apt apart from the fact that I am very dark all over including my general skin tone. I was at a networking thing and was explaining what I'd been up to that day. I managed to say that "I'd been running in the woods under a canape so I hadn't got caught in the rain". It was one of those where I heard what I'd said and started to laugh as did they. At least now I'll always be remembered as the canape girl.

Are Interviews Like Buses?

Well, maybe they just are. Don't see one for a while and then 2 come along at once. Yes, that's right, I have 2 interviews. One is non-marketing which I am rather excited about - it's to do fundraising for a university and the other is a bid manager role so not too dissimilar to the things that I did before.

The main bummer is that the said interviews are back to back. I ideally wanted a bit more of a gap so that I can prepare for them but that just isn't going to happen.

The fundraising role is precisely what I want to do but it is located 1hr 40 mins away from where I live so moving would have to be part of the deal. Moving is no bigger really as I can still get into London pretty easily.