The Importance of Career Networking

When employers are hiring new staff, if they are not limited by company hiring policies, their first inclination is typically to ask existing staff whether they know of anyone who would be a good fit for the job. There's a certain amount of built in trust that comes from a referral because the candidate has already been pre-screened by the person who made the referral. Employers typically prefer to hire someone who has been referred and avoid advertising a job and sifting through huge stacks of resumes from strangers who may or many not be a good fit for the job.

The Importance of Career Networking
How to Find Great Job Leads

Let the supportive people in your life know that you are job hunting. Most people will be happy to help. Remember, networking is not imposing or using people. If you nurture your network at all times, when you're job searching and when you are not, sometimes you will be in a position to help out friends and colleagues with favors and at other times they will be in a position to assist you.

Be specific about your goals and the type of work you are seeking so that your contacts can provide you with leads that are appropriate. If you are vague about the kind of work you are seeking, your contacts will not be able to provide good leads. If people are unclear about your professional background, you might consider supplying them with a copy of your resume so they will better understand the type of work you are seeking and provide you with appropriate leads.

You must specifically ask for leads. If you don't ask, plenty of otherwise helpful people will not let you know about promising job leads. They may

• not realize that you are job searching.
  
• feel uncomfortable intruding with advice that you didn't ask for. (Job searching can be a touchy subject, so much of a person's self worth is connected to the work that they do, that people may feel awkward giving leads and tips unless you have specifically asked for them.)
  
• realize you are job searching, have a good lead but fail to put those two facts together unless you have specifically asked them to pass along any job leads.

The importance of career networking is clear. Networking for a job is the absolute best approach to job search. Approximately 80% of jobs are never advertised, and networking is the most effective way to find unadvertised jobs, so, if you are not networking to find job leads, you are missing out on a lot of great opportunities.

Remember:

Nurture your network
Keep in contact with your network whether you're job searching or not. Avoid being the person who only calls when there's something to gain.

Make a point of asking people for leads and tips
Don't expect people to provide leads if you don't ask. Many people will want to help you with your job search, but they may also be wary of offering unsolicited advice. Be sure to let people know you're on the lookout for job leads and would appreciate any leads or tips.

Follow up with updates and thanks
When someone in your network provides you with a lead, be sure to thank that person and provide an update on your job search and the results of pursuing their lead. When you do land your dream job, let your contacts know and thank them again for their help.

Don't underestimate the importance of career networking. Take care of your business contacts, and they will take care of you.