Naturally, you want to get the most out of your professional and personal networking contacts. To do this, you need to present them with a clear and fairly detailed idea of your career aspirations. If you can do this, you run a much better chance of maximizing their ability to connect you with –
(1) job opportunities, and
(2) contacts of theirs who could assist you to reach your career goals.
The Contacts Roadmap is a document that you provide to your networking contacts so that they can zero in on –
• where you could – and would like to – work, given your background, interests and aspirations;
• responding quickly and efficiently to your request for advice and assistance because the Roadmap will minimize their need to think long and hard, and incorrectly, about where you might fit; and
• doing so with energy and enthusiasm about you and your candidacy.
Note. Your Roadmap does not have to focus exclusively on just one practice area, industry, type of employer, or area of interest. If your job search campaign is taking you down parallel paths (e.g., energy and environmental law), it is perfectly acceptable to incorporate more than one possible career path into the document. Just make sure that you are clear as to your intent.