“I don’t want to waste my time networking with a bunch of other unemployed people” I can’t tell you how often I have heard this. I also hear “I don’t have time to network, I am too busy with my job”.
The Right People To Meet
The reality is, anyone can be the “right” person.
The key to networking is to develop and nurture relationships.
The facts are that the majority of jobs are filled through internal hires. If you can’t be an internal candidate, then your next best bet is to be a referral. How can you be a referred by someone within the company if you don’t network?
If you have developed a friendship with the wife of a business owner, do you think she might say something to her husband about this interesting new person she’s met? And when that business owner announces that he needs a new Accountant, Product Developer, IT guru, who do you think he will talk to first? His wife. He’ll probably complain that he can’t find any good talent in his company or that he dreads the interview process or whatever. That is when she’ll remind him of you. At least that’s the theory. Sound simplistic, I hope so.
You just never know how your next opportunity will show itself and therefore, learn how to balance your time and network with as many people as possible!
Use this List of Networking Contacts to help you brainstorm and document your network. It’s a starting point!
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.
