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At a recent job search workshop, an attendee asked where to meet executives in person. First of all, I assume that one is looking for executive hang-outs so they can meet executives to ultimately develop a productive, long-term relationship. If that is the case, then my first advice is not to limit yourself to live gatherings but to remember the value of online networking as well. That said, if you are looking to do live networking, the best source is a targeted professional group. There often are several so you need to think about your needs and research the groups accordingly: Be specific in your target. The more specific you can be, the more easily you can research and screen for a group that meets your needs. So financial services is general, investment management is one cut, and a further cut might be alternative investments. If you know you specifically want alternative investment executives, try to find that specific a group and see if it has a big enough membership to sustain your networking efforts. Check for quantity. You don’t want to just go for the biggest groups, but networking is a numbers game. You want to meet many people because you don’t know exactly whom you will click with. You also want to ensure that the group is active and has enough events that you have the chance to encounter new people and deepen relationships with members you have already met. Check for quality. What level are the members? Some groups have more junior members. Some groups are exclusive to C-suite, with five- or six-figure membership fees to match. Figure out what “executive” means to you and find the group that matches that level. What are the events? Some groups have very structured workshops and events with meaty content-sharing and/ or systematic networking opportunities. Other groups are less organized and more social. You don’t need to limit yourself to one professional group, but it is better to go narrow and deep rather than flit from group to group. Networking is best over the long-term so if you spread yourself across groups you may never reap the benefit of the more dedicated members. Finally, whatever you decide to do (offline v online, higher-level v peers, structured v unstructured) should be based on your personal preferences and your professional goals. Your preferences reveal where you will be most comfortable and therefore most likely to enjoy and continue the networking. However your professional goals reveal whether or not you need to stretch out of your comfort zone and pick a group that may feel less natural but is what you need for now. Remember, it is the levels above you that hire you and make purchasing decisions. So for business goals you need to get to these higher levels, even if you are less comfortable doing so.
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