Networking for the job you want

According to Ford Myers, author of “Get the Job You Want Even When No One’s Hiring”, the most important arsenal in your job seeker’s tool kit is the ability to network. Now don’t get me wrong – the other items in the tool kit are important – including your resume, references, cover letters, and so on. But networking is the best way to find a job.

Networking can be a scary business when you first start out. Ugh… you are thinking – I actually have to talk to people? You would be surprised how easy it is. Just listen and pay attention and you will find out about job openings or about companies that might be hiring.

For example, my daughter has a friend who put a two week notice in at her company as she is going to start her own business. Well – this means that there is a job opening at her former company. Along those same lines, I happened to see, on this friend’s Facebook page that another friend from the same company has put in her notice. Now there are two possible job openings.

The next step is to find out the name of the company and maybe even the positions that will be vacant. Then see if you can find the company’s website and check it out. If it were me, I would get in touch with my daughter’s friend and ask her about the position and the company so that I could get an idea if it is something I might be interested in. If not, I could always talk it up on one of my own social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn. If it is a position I am interested in, I could contact my daughter’s friend and ask if she would give my resume to the hiring manager for consideration. Hiring manager’s take more notice if the resume comes in through a current employee than if it was submitted online.

That is how networking works and I never even had to come out of my comfort zone to learn about two new jobs. So, if you pay attention, networking can become second nature.

By: Nancy Anderson, Staff Writer