Networking as a way to connect to job openings has an unfair rap. For many, a vision of networking includes an overcrowded scene that resembles speed dating and involves handing out as many business cards as possible.
Here is help to rethink and reinvent networking. With some new ideas and techniques, it can become a winning strategy in a successful job search.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines networking as, “The cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.” My working definition is, “People helping each other.” The truth is, we all need help and support, especially in this unprecedented and difficult employment market.
While estimates vary, experts report that only 20 percent of all job openings are advertised. The fact is that by the time a vacant position is posted online or advertised, the hiring manager likely has exhausted his or her network and is overwhelmed with a tall plain-vanilla pile of applicants.
The best way around this is to know decision-makers at a host of companies in your targeted job-search industry and job function. Make a plan to identify and seek out these hiring managers. One way to find them is to research potential employers online, navigating through their Web sites to departments and individuals linked to your occupation.
Another way is to join professional associations, school alumni groups and other related organizations in your sector, where employees from target companies and positions gather. These individuals know people and information that can lead to inquiries, conversations, activities, more individuals and businesses that can form an active and productive job-search network.
*Provide answers to problems*
But, how can you expand this network of connections if you are an introvert or if networking hasn’t worked for you?
• *Be the solution* – Don’t start out by asking for help finding a job. Instead, start by asking people how you can help them. Everyone knows small business owners or others in a job search. Find as many of these individuals as possible and set up coffee meetings to learn more about their business or job search. Then, make the best referrals and suggestions to benefit them that you can. This proven technique has opened doors and led many professionals to successful interviews.
• *Increase your visibility* – If hiring managers don’t know you, they can’t interview and hire you. Find ways to volunteer in professional or nonprofit organizations where you feel passion and commitment. Make sure your role is visible and connected with the community. Talk to people in your church and neighborhood. A neighbor for 10 years may know the hiring manager at your next job.
Let go of assumptions about the value of networking in a job hunt with a neighbor, past co-worker and acquaintances. You may be pleasantly surprised at who they know and where they are willing to help you connect.
• *Befriend an extrovert* – If you are an introvert, networking can be overwhelming and draining. Find a helpful extrovert you admire, one who shares common professional interests. Ask if you can join them at the next industry event. Their positive energy can be the springboard for new introductions. Follow up on every single introduction you make using the “Be the solution” approach listed here.
• *Don’t give up* – It is perfectly normal to feel moments of discouragement and frustration in your search. More than ever, you must find new ways to re-energize and pick yourself up. Every day presents new opportunities to expand your network. Every “no” brings you closer to “yes” and your new job.
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• *Take control* – Create a structure for your job search every week that includes at least two or three quality meetings with individuals who are well connected and willing to help. If you dig deep into your contacts and creativity to make sure that you are helping others, then you will find others who will return your favor. Before long, you can be beyond interviewing and accepting a job offer.
_Kathleen Winsor-Games is the principal of The Winsor Group, a Denver boutique firm offering career coaching and transition services for professionals and executives._