Open MenuHide Menu
Search jobs
ADP Tech
  • Careers
    • Careers overview
    • What we do
    • Who we hire
    • Where we innovate
    • Alpharetta, GA
    • Brazil
    • Hyderabad, India
    • New York City, NY
    • Pasadena, CA
    • Roseland, NJ
    • All other locations
    • Our culture
    • Search jobs
  • Our story
  • COVID-19 FAQs
  • Search jobs

Tech & Innovation Blog

Forrest Gump Teaches Everything That Matters About Networking

Career Development, Voice of Our People, Career Advice

illustrated man thinking and sitting on a bench with a suitcase with a tree in the back

Whether you are networking to expand your connections, interviewing, or having a career discussion with a mentor, create the best experience possible.

Forrest Gump Teaches Everything That Matters About Networking 

By Liz Gelb-O’Connor, Global Head of Employer Brand & Marketing

Earlier this fall, I had the pleasure of attending one of ADP’s HR Master Classes led by Jason Delserro, our Chief Talent Acquisition Officer. The class was a quick thirty minutes and presented incredibly useful tips on intentional networking. All fast and insightful tips presented under the context of lessons learned from Forrest Gump. 

Most people have seen the 1994 Academy award-winning movie featuring a younger Tom Hanks. Not only does Forrest extend himself to strangers, but he greets his old friend Dan with the exuberance he feels based on what he perceives as the value of their relationship. Because of Forrest, Dan ends up in a much better place. Forrest goes on to inspire millions with his run across the country. 

There is something so simple yet powerful about how Forrest sees and interacts with the world and draws people in. Whether connecting with new people to expand our personal networks, requesting an exploratory discussion about current or future career opportunities, or actively interviewing for a new job, how can we harness the same magical power and incorporate it into successful and enriching interactions? 

Reinforced during the talk was the intentional nature of great networking, including a cognitive exchange of ideas and information between people, leveraging commonality, special interests, and/or opportunity. 

Four Questions suggested that you should ask yourself before networking or interviewing:

  1. What can I learn about this person before meeting with them?
  2. What do we have in common? 
  3.  What’s important to this person, or is there a problem I can help this person solve? 
  4. What can I offer this person? 

shaking hands and people using laptops to research

Here are some common pitfalls Jason mentioned that people should be aware of, especially when meeting with senior leaders or in the context of career discussions. Just remember, preparation and effort pay off in forming positive and lasting impressions.

Things to avoid:

  1. Not preparing or doing your research
  2. Not respecting people’s time
  3. Coming in too casual
  4. Lengthy and dense presentations
  5. Not following up on takeaways!

Researching a person you plan to meet with can be quick and effective. Use LinkedIn and study the profile of the person you are meeting before connecting or interviewing. Pro tip: They can see who has viewed their profile and will know you invested the time. For internal resources on colleagues, look at internal collaboration portals and internal profiles. If you are meeting with an executive, they might have been featured in company videos or blogs. Review their work.  phone screen showing LinkedIn log in page

Whether leveraging a LinkedIn profile, article, or even their Instagram account, a well-placed comment or observation can go a long way in making a meaningful connection and creating commonality. 

To summarize, whether you are networking to expand your personal connections, interviewing, having a career discussion with a mentor, or just someone willing to give you thirty minutes of their time, create the best experience possible.

Remember to do these things:

  1. Research/prep
  2.  Find common ground
  3. Schedule for 30 minutes and plan for 15
  4. Be authentic!
  5. Ask, “How can I help you?”
  6. Follow-up
  7. Send a ‘Thank You’ note for their time.

Based on Jason’s advice, it’s that simple. Or, to quote Forrest, “That’s all he has to say about that.” 

Interested in a tech career at ADP?         

Click here to search for your next move, and visit Who We Hire. 

Subscribe to our blog

copy

Subscribe

Share this post

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Linkedin
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail

Stay in Touch

Join our talent community
Subscribe to our blog

Say hello.

  • Facebook
Three ADP employees looking at a mobile phone.

Tech at ADP Homepage logo
Careers  ›
  • Careers overview
  • What we do
  • Who we hire
  • Where we innovate
  • Our culture
  • Search jobs
Our story  ›
  • Our story overview
  • Subscribe to our blog
Other ADP Sites  ›
  • ADP.com
  • Next Gen Products
  • Always Designing for People
  • Explore All ADP Careers at jobs.ADP.com
  • Fraud alert
  • Accessibility
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy
  • Terms

Equal Employment Opportunity

At ADP, we believe that our diversity fuels innovation and benefits our associates, clients, and communities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

ADP, the ADP logo, and Always Designing for People are trademarks of ADP, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright © 2022 ADP, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Story of ADP Design: Data, Insights, Simplicity four men sitting on chairs with a laptop and a women on the screen in the middle a man in suit looking at the camera with blog title on the left Data’s Power to Inform Decisions in Business and Work
Scroll to top