Network to Get Work

Networking is a powerful way to land a new job. In addition to the fact that many positions are not widely advertised, finding a job through networking often means there’s less competition. So you could have a greater chance of getting the job than if the employer is considering you among 5-10 other people they found through a job site.

Think about people you know personally. Would any of them know someone who could help you find a job? It's estimated that the average person has about 200 people they know well. So if you know 200 people yourself and each of them knows another 200 people, that's 200x200 or 40,000 people who might be able to help you find a job.

Getting your network to work for you requires presenting your capabilities in an easy to understand way and providing the people in your network with an incentive to help you. When you call a friend to ask them to help you find a job, you've got to be able to explain what you can do in a way that's easy for them to understand. If you're an accountant, don't just say you're a CPA with 10 years' experience. Think about something outstanding about your background that your friends and associates would find memorable. For example, you could say I was my boss's secret weapon for 10 years - in all that time having me as his accountant, he's never gotten audited. If you come up with a short story like that to illustrate your background, it makes it easier for people you talk to to visualize what kind of benefit you can provide for an employer. Plus, it's easier for people in your network to work it into a conversation with other people they know if it has some entertainment value to it.

One of the foremost experts on networking, Harvey Mackay, suggests when networking with people to always ask them if there's anything you can do to help them. If you sincerely want to help people you know, they'll be much more motivated to want to help you.

People who know you are often your best resource for getting a job. However, you may also find some success at networking events - gatherings where people have a chance to meet and chat with other professionals. Although these people will be open to the idea of networking since they came to the event for that purpose, the same rules apply regarding presenting yourself in an interesting way and giving them an incentive to help you.

This article was provided by JobSearchInfo.com. For additional career resources, please visit http://www.jobsearchinfo.com.

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