by Colm Cavey, Professional Career Consultant.
While more and more employers are using job sites in their search for talented employees, most job seekers do not realise that “Networking” or making contact with acquaintances and/or friends and letting them know you are looking for a job is a route through which a large proportion of jobs are also filled.
So clearly sitting at your PC banging off your C.V. and applications to recruiters and companies is nice and easy but probably not as effective as the more inconvenient method of Networking. This requires you to get up, get out and start making contact with real people. Let them know your on the move – job-wise.
So just who are these people?
They are all people you know, they are all around you but you just haven’t thought it through.
They could be
Personal: Friends, Relatives, Bank Manager, Your Accountant, Community Leaders,
Business: Current colleagues, former workmates, customers, suppliers and trade associations are especially good.
Sports: Presidents, secretaries, committee members and players in any sporting organisations if you’re a member.
Other: Referrals, Acquaintances, people met at seminars, shows, etc.
Other; Contacts resulting from any of the above and may represent the remotest possibility of advancing your aims.
Every one of these contacts will have their own circle of friends and opportunities may be mentioned in the course of normal conversations. If they know you are available and hear of a vacancy they make comment about you. A potential employer will usually be happy to meet someone if they are recommended by a friend.
You’re Approach.
1 Make a list of people for each of the categories
2 Assess the priorities
3 Plan and pace your approaches
4 Make the contact
5 Ask for advice not a job
6 Often one contact will provide other referrals to other people who can also be of
assistance. Follow up on these.
7 Thank your contacts for their help and keep them informed. Some people are
reluctant to involve friends or business colleagues but you must use every
opportunity and method available to you.
Personal contacts can be of great advantage. Just because they are friends or relatives it doesn’t mean they know what you do at work. So tell them or remind them. You will be surprised at;
• How many people you know that have had similar experiences.
• How willing people are to be of assistance.
• The ‘add on’ referrals/contacts that can result.
In this age the so called stigma of unemployment is gone, so do not let ego or pride diminish your job search contacts.
When you meet a contact
Show your C.V. and ask what they think of it. This will give them an opportunity to review your career history without embarrassing questions. Do not presume that because you are a friend that they know your career history intimately.
Ask for advice – do not ask for job.
Do not corner people by asking for a job or to help you get a job. Just ask them for advice. They will in fact be complimented by the idea that you went to them for that advice. If they have no advice to give then no matter. They still got the message that you are on the move and will remember you if an opportunity arises.
Be positive in your discussion. most people are uncomfortable with pessimism or whingeing.
Treat your contact with respect.
Display appreciation for their advice/assistance. Ask if they know anyone else who might be useful in assisting/advising you. Ask permission to use their name. If O.K., then follow up the lead, introducing yourself as a mutual friend of John Jones?
You will most likely be given the time that you would not normally have got as a complete stranger. Repeat the process. In doing so you are networking in an efficient manner with people who may have access to advance information of a position becoming available.
Continue doing this in a planned and structured fashion and you may well be surprised at how quickly results can be achieved.
Good Luck
