I had an amazing week at the Career Directors International conference! It wasn’t the knowledge and information that blew me away, but the opportunity to meet face to face with great people. Many of the people I met I have known for years through blogging and Twitter. I now can put a person with those Twitter handles and blog posts. I also met others whom I hadn’t been following and now will.
The other thing that impressed me was the generosity and support I felt ooze from these wonderful people.
Someone said recently, that attendance at college reunions is down and that Facebook might be the reason. Someone else said there is an increase in Meetups and Tweetups because people want to put a person with a name. Either way, social networks and social media are playing a role in our lives.
Over 80% of hiring managers and employers prefer to hire a referral vs an unknown candidate. (Sources include ExecuNet and Jobvite.)
Hiring Managers will lean towards the candidate who sends a Thank You message.
So piecing this all together, the security of your career depends heavily on your relationships.
Today, right now, start to leverage your relationships. Reach out and call someone. Send a personalized message and connect with an old colleague on LinkedIn. Do anything that connects and binds you with people. You just never know where your next opportunity will come from.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
