Importance of Networking

I know that I have constantly pushed the idea of networking to find a job.  I like to tell my clients that job searching is very similar to having a job.  You have to work 9 to 5 and really put out the effort to get the results you want.

This doesn’t mean that people who fail to network fail to get jobs – however, those people who don’t network fail to find jobs in the career or field they desire?  Why?

Well, without networking, it’s impossible to know what jobs are out there.  With websites like monster.com and careerbuilder.com, it’s easy to become passive and wait for jobs to find you.  But if you have watched the news (even for five minutes), you will learn that there are far less jobs than there are job seekers.  And who’s getting the cream of the crop?  People who know people.

So one key to networking is using sites like LinkedIn to find connections to people you have lost touch with and building a network of old friends and colleagues who can help you out. I support LinkedIn, because unlike MySpace and Facebook, LinkedIn is purposely made for business connections and doesn’t allow for casual alliances.

Another key is to use alumni groups.  I was able to make many connections and business contacts by attending my old High School’s Career Day and speaking to current Brooklyn Tech students about the field of resume writing and career coaching.  Within four hours, I had met other alumni in various fields all looking to network and build alliances.

Lastly, let’s not forget the all important idea of (gasp) face-to-face networking.  Yes, you should have a steady supply of business cards.  No, it is not beneath you to give it out to every human face you encounter, including and most importantly, your beautician or barber who meet different people every day.

By the way, if there is a company of high interest to you, be sure to make an inside contact with one of the employees.  Find out about the business, learn the pet peeves of the HR manager, and most important, ask them if it is okay if you mention that you’ve met them.  Potential employers are impressed to learn that their prospective employee is a go-getter, ambitious and interested in the company.

I know it seems funny that I feel a need to post on networking, but with the usage of the Internet, we have begun to rely less and less on human interaction. Yet, it is the most important interaction necessary to find a job.