“Betsy, you’re cool. KIT, Debbie”
At first I wondered, what in the world does “KIT” stand for? Then I realized it means “Keep in Touch”, and instantly Middle School Aged Betsy was so much cooler.
But really… everything I need to know I learned from that statement. Keep in Touch. This is especially true when it comes to forming relationships and networking.
This week my husband came home from work to tell me that his company had another round of lay-offs. He thankfully was not laid off, but it got me thinking. What if suddenly you are without work. And now you have to awkwardly get in touch with former colleagues, former supervisors or former mentors. If you haven’t spoken to some of these key people in several years, asking for their help will likely feel like a desparate attempt to find work. But what if you had “KIT”?
Ways to “KIT”:
- Connect on LinkedIn.com with your old colleagues by offering to write a recommendation for them and maybe they will even return the favor.
- Labor Day is fast approaching… why not send a note saying how much you enjoyed working with them or having had them as a mentor in the past. Ok… if Labor Day isn’t significant enough in November is the perfect US holiday- Thanksgiving!
- Connect on Facebook.com and write a quick note on their “wall”. This is a great way to stay in touch and it doesn’t take much time to get caught up on their lives through photos.
- Ask an old colleague out to lunch to catch-up.
Do these things now and when you come asking for help they will be more than willing to do just that.
Northwestern UCS Blog 