| When most people need to find a new job, they start | | | | I found my new job through networking. |
| with the online career sites, employment offices or | | | | Life Insurance Agent: I decided to work for myself. I |
| local want ads. It seems obvious to look in the places | | | | researched companies in the life insurance industry |
| where people are advertizing for jobs. Yet, studies | | | | and knew some agents. A personal friend who was |
| consistently show networking to be the most effective | | | | also an agent led me to his company where I |
| way to find a job. Networking is the act of working | | | | eventually landed my first position. They had an active |
| with people you know to help you find the things that | | | | recruiting program ongoing and the personal |
| you want. Its efficacy is not surprising considering that | | | | introduction paved the way, even though I had no |
| when done properly, job seekers are making direct | | | | obvious qualifications. |
| contact with hiring managers or people that can lead | | | | Large Pharmaceutical: Several years later when I |
| them to hiring managers. Further more, it provides a | | | | decided to change careers again, I networked my way |
| way to tap into the hidden job market. | | | | into a local, major pharmaceutical company doing |
| The phrase "hidden job market" refers to all of those | | | | business development. The job was not advertised. |
| jobs that exist but are hidden from view, that is, they | | | | Six years later, the company was restructuring to |
| are not advertised. Hiring managers will often hold-off | | | | prepare for a spin off the division I was in. I was laid |
| advertising a job until exhausting their own circle of | | | | off and networked my way to a job as program |
| contacts. Placing ads and sorting through potential | | | | manager within the same company. The job was not |
| candidates is costly and time consuming. It also | | | | advertised until after I started only to fulfill HR |
| involves the risk of hiring an unknown entity. It is easier, | | | | requirements. |
| cheaper, and safer for the hiring manager to recruit | | | | Three years later it was time for me to move on. I |
| from friends and/or professional contacts. You | | | | networked my way to find a manager job in yet |
| increase your chances of getting the job you want by | | | | another division. This job was advertised and I saw it |
| tapping into that hidden job market. As evidence, here | | | | on the job board, but I thought it was not a good fit. I |
| are some statistics from on how Americans find | | | | networked my way into the vice president's office. |
| employment: | | | | She encouraged me to apply and asked me to meet |
| 35% -- Found job through a friend, relative or other | | | | with the hiring manger. |
| associate | | | | Why It Works |
| 30% -- Contacted an employer directly, without | | | | I am nothing special, nor is my history with networking. |
| answering a classified ad | | | | What is special is the power of networking. I have tried |
| 14% -- Answered a job classified advertisement | | | | responding to ads and sending out hundreds of |
| 08% -- Found job through on-campus recruitment or | | | | resumes, but like most people, my carefully worded |
| job placement office | | | | documents and phone calls fell in to the black holes of |
| 06% -- Employment agency or search firm | | | | human resource departments. Every time it proved to |
| 05% -- State-run unemployment office | | | | be a huge amount of effort without any payoff. |
| 02% -- Other | | | | Instead, the solution was talking to people- lots of them. |
| The above percentages indicate that 65% of people | | | | Want more proof? Think about how you have found |
| who are employed found a job that was never publicly | | | | jobs, or ask your friends about their careers and how |
| advertised. | | | | they found their jobs. I bet you will find that they knew |
| Case study | | | | someone who gave them an "in" or a critical heads-up. |
| For many people, networking still feels like something | | | | This is networking. It may not have been formal, or |
| that will only work for other people. I am proof that's | | | | even intentional, but it was networking at its best. |
| wrong. While not unique or connected in any special | | | | In real life it plays out like this: a company may |
| way, with the exception of one position I found by cold | | | | advertise an open position and receive 1,000 resumes. |
| calling, I networked my way into every other position | | | | HR will receive those resumes and, after filtering the |
| as I worked my way up the corporate ladders in | | | | resumes based on their criteria, will narrow it down to |
| multiple industries. Here are some examples of how I | | | | maybe ten resumes. If the hiring manager gets an |
| worked with the people I knew to find the jobs I | | | | email from a trusted contact recommending a friend |
| wanted. | | | | for the job and attaching a resume, that "friend" just |
| Cast Iron Foundry: Just before graduation, I was talking | | | | leapfrogged to the front of the pack. The other ten |
| with my faculty advisor about jobs. He gave me the | | | | candidates are complete unknowns beyond their |
| name of a man at a trade association coincidentally | | | | resumes, but the friend comes with a trusted |
| near my home. I visited him on the way home from | | | | recommendation. The hiring manager eliminates much |
| school. He, in turn, referred me to the Chief Metallurgist | | | | of the risk involved in bringing in a new employee. In |
| at a nearby company that fit exactly with what I | | | | order to be successful in your job search, you need to |
| wanted to do. They hired me. The job was never | | | | find those contacts that can get you in front of the |
| advertised. | | | | hiring managers. Networking makes you a known |
| R&D Consortium: A vendor salesman that used | | | | quantity, allowing you to levitate to the top of a |
| to call the company that I worked for went to work | | | | massive stack. |
| for the Consortium. He told me they were looking for | | | | Conclusion |
| engineers with business acumen and put me in touch | | | | There are many ways to find a job, but studies prove |
| with the hiring manger. I got the job. The job was not | | | | that networking is the most effective way to find a |
| advertised. When I had gone as far as I could in that | | | | job. The experience of my own career over 30 years |
| company, I sent out hundreds of resumes and | | | | made a believer out of me. |
| answered dozens of advertisements to no avail. Finally | | | | |