Why Networking Works

Why Networking Works Youve been told to network your way to a new job, but do you know why networking works? If you dont like networking, youre not alone. However, it is an indisputable fact that more people secure a new job through networking than any other means. Put Yourself In The Employers Shoes It is a painful process to hire someone. If you owned your own business and needed to fill a position, what would the first steps you take to fill this opening? Nope, you arent going to put an ad on a job board as the first step. You realize if you do this, you will receive too many resumes and you wont be able to process them all. Yet, as job seekers, the first place we look for a new job is the job boards. How Jobs Get Filled Heres how jobs get filled and why networking works. The iceberg above represents employers fill jobs.   There are the advertised jobs above the waterline and the unadvertised jobs below the waterline. Approximately 80% of new hires come from the activities below the orange line. The invisible part of the iceberg equals word of mouth (aka networking). This means that you only see about 20% of the available jobs when you look online.   (No wonder you dont see any good jobs.) They only way you will hear about the good jobs is bynetworking. Ive written a lot about networking and you can find some articles listed here: 5 Networking Tips To Help You Do It Better 10 Steps to Networking Right Networking or Whatever You Want to Call It Start with A Plan to Grow Your Network Be First In Line For Job Opportunities When you network, you get early access to job opportunities, you become a known entity and there are fewer people competing for un-posted opportunities. Theres another reason hiring managers like referrals. Candidates who know employees make safer hires.   They know more about the person and it makes hiring them less risky. And finally, referred candidates are more likely to be interviewed and hired! Network Strategically But how do you network if you dont know who is hiring? Every company has jobs to fill at some point. Your goal is to identify companies you would like to work for and meet people who work there. You do this in advance of a publicized opening when people have more time and are more likely to meet with you. If you wait until a job has been posted, asking for a networking meeting comes across as asking for a job interview rather than an information gathering. This is precisely why you need to target specific companies. And, if you dont focus on companies, how can you effectively uncover the upcoming opportunities? Read Strategically Grow Your Network Create A Personal Marketing Plan To help drive your networking and job search forward, create a personal marketing plan. Learn how here.