Networking is the Mother Lode of Job Opportunities

Serious job hunters know that employment ads, whether published in the newspaper or online, are only a small part of the picture of the positions open at a given time. In fact, many good jobs are never advertised. While many large companies have policies about publicly posting all vacancies in the name of fairness, job announcements may not necessarily wind up in your local paper or online. Even fewer openings are filled via employment ads.

As noted recently in the Wall Street Journal's career pages, networking is where you should spend most of your time and resources. That means contacting and spending time with colleagues and other associates in your field. It also means contacting recruiters who specialize in your line of work.

After meetings or phone calls, be sure to provide your contacts with a brief career bio in the form of a one-page resume. While an associate may not know of any available openings, opportunities pop up all the time. Your contacts, equipped with your resume, will be in a better position to put in a good word for you when the opportunity arrives. Also keep in mind that some companies pay bonuses to employees who supply them with successful job applicants. This may give your networking contacts a stronger incentive than just good will to help you land a job.

Networking is responsible for filling as many as 80% of all openings, the Wall Street Journal says, so it's clearly the best route to learning about job opportunities and getting offers. Networking also puts you in the driver's seat, giving you a whole different frame of mind about your job search. No more passive-response system for you.

Also, if you initiate and follow up on personal contacts, you'll cut your waiting and wondering time to a minimum.

back to January blog