Posts tagged with “networking”

I recently read a survey that stated that 52% of professionals surveyed had attained their current position through the use of networking. Intrigued by this data I decided to host a poll on Linkedin surveying my professional network to determine how many people I knew personally had attained their position the same way.

The question was as follows:

How did you attain your present role in which you are employed?
A) Networking with professional contacts
B) Recruiter/headhunters
C) Networking through family/friends
D) Job Boards/Search sites

From my own non-scientific poll there was a total of 47% that relied on networking with professional contacts, family, and/or friends. I was thoroughly surprised, as I am a Sr. IT Recruiter by trade and assumed most of my personal network would have been placed through recruiters. This shows that building your professional network plays a huge role in attaining future employment.

With the advent of web 2.0 technology in addition to traditional networking events, there are multiple ways out there to network with other professionals who share similarities with you. What have you done to build your network and solidify your career in the future?

Tired of looking for jobs in all the same places? The classifieds, Craigslist, and Monster can only take you so far, so if you're looking for a fresh place to job hunt try these ideas:

• Surf the small sites Niche sites that cater to jobs in your specific field can be frustrating because they have only a small amount of information and may not be updated all that often, but that doesn't mean they should be ignored in favor of larger, more widely used resources. If/when you do happen to find an interesting opportunity on a niche site you'll not only find that it not only fits your qualifications much better but also that you have less competition to deal with.
• Use your family network Sending out resumes and working your business network is all fine and dandy, but don't ignore the resources you have sitting right at home -- your family. Often people get interviews and jobs in part because they knew someone who recommended them, and that person can just as easily be your spouse, brother, or cousin as it can be a coworker or business associate.
• Look to the past Networking is generally thought of as building new and current relationships, but what about bringing some old ones back to life? Networking backwards, meaning contacting old college professors, past employers that you left on good terms, and even managers you interviewed with in past job hunts can open all kinds of unexpected doors. It certainly can't hurt!