Job Search Networking

If you are trying to find a job, then job search networking should be an important part of your overall strategy.  How does networking help you find a job?  It helps by expanding your reach beyond your resume into a social network of people that may be able to help you someday find a job.

Job Networking is Effective

You've probably heard of the phrase "six degrees of separation," but did you know this concept was based on an actual research experiment?  The findings of that study indicated that on average, each person in the world is separated by only six other persons.

By understanding the value of creating social networks, it should become clearer that the everyday interactions you have with people may be the single most important job search resource available to you.  Findings have shown that over 60% of job searchers found their new jobs via networking.  That makes networking the single most effective way of finding a new job.

Informal Job Networks

The best way to create a social job network is to do it informally.  Here are some examples of very informal job networking opportunities:

• Striking up a conversation with your neighbor.
• Volunteering in the community in which you live.
• Talking to those people all around you at the train station everyday.
• Going out to lunch with that sales person that always seems to be bothering you.

Think about all of the different ways you interact with people everyday.  Those are your real informal job networking opportunities.  If you take the initiative to introduce yourself, or talk to others when the opportunity arises, then you will be surprised at how quickly your social network grows.  As your network grows, so does its value.

Targeted Job Networking

While the above examples are great ways to meet new people, and can be done anywhere and at anytime, you may also want to try more targeted job networking.  These are opportunities you encounter when going to a trade show or attending a conference.  Regardless of the profession, there is almost always a forum that's been created for the sharing of best practices - even among competitors.

The Internet is a great place to find out where other people in your profession are hanging out.  There are newsgroups and discussion boards where ideas are shared all the time.  Just use your favorite search engine and enter the topic you'd like to find plus the word "forum" and you are sure to find many people in your same profession.  Just remember, the more you put into this process, the more you will get out.

Network Mistakes

Don't mistake a job network with approaches such as sending letters to people that you don't even know.  If you're sending emails or letters to people you don't know, then you might as well be sending then your resume and cover letter.  Don't insult the intelligence of others by introducing yourself this way.  It is not appreciated, and probably does more harm than good.

Another mistake that people make is to think that networking is a one way street.  The most effective form of networking is one of Quid Pro Quo (this for that).  The more you give into your social network or job network, the more you will get out.  If you are looking for favors from others, then you need to be prepared to help others too.

Job Networking Resources

We'd like to finish this article by pointing out some pretty valuable resources that you can use to help with your job search networking activities.  Some of these are resources that can be found right here on the Internet, while others are calendars of meetings where different professionals might gather:

• CareerBuilder - has a section dedicated to Career Fairs, which is a great way to network with potential employers from all around the country.
• Monster.com - realizing the value of creating a social job network, this industry giant has rolled out "communities," an entire section of their website devoted just to networking.
• CareerJournal - this specialized publication of the Wall Street Journal has a calendar of career events that are either free or low cost.  This publication lists job networking opportunities for all 50 states.  You are sure to find a local networking opportunity on this website.

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