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Job Networking: Network Your Way To A Job Offer
Nimish Thakkar, MS, MBA,
CCMC, CPRW, SaiCareers.com,
New York
January 16, 2006
What do
most successful people have in common? No, not money. If you observe
successful professionals carefully, you will notice one similarity
among all of them: they are all well-networked. Networking is no
newbie to the world of business (or employment); from business deals
to job leads, networking has always been the way to go.
It is an undisputed fact that almost 75 to 80% of jobs are filled
through networking. This trend doesn’t come as a surprise though;
don’t we all love to shop at places or dine at restaurants recommended
to us by our trusted friends? In a similar manner, corporations, too,
like to hire employees referred by a trusted source.
So how exactly does one break into an employer’s inner circle? Well,
read on.
Get them to recommend you
Let us examine some of the individuals or organizations any company
would need to work with. An average company would need at least one or
more of the following: lawyer (or law firm); bank, investors, or
venture capital firms; consultants; vendors; employees; insurance
agents (or companies); customers (of course); technology support
(internal or external); maintenance; business partners; external
auditors (or accounting firms); public relations consultant(s);
equipment suppliers … In addition, one or more of the following
affiliations may exist: universities, professional associations,
community, religious, political, non-profit causes …
Using aggressive
networking and targeted
company and
industry
research, you should be able to discover which of these parties your
employer associates with. Once you have that information try
approaching them. Most people tend to be receptive to individuals
soliciting advice or guidance, so the key is to avoid sounding like a
salesperson, but rather as someone who is seeking advice. (During the
conversation you could slowly introduce a request for recommendation
or help.)
Merit if supplemented with a recommendation from someone known to the
employer could significantly boost your chances of securing the offer.
Nail the hiring manager
Targeted cold calling, networking, extensive
company research, and
industry associations should help you find the name of the hiring
manager. The way targeted cold calling works (for the purpose of job
networking) is as follows: try calling the company you are interested
in working with; ask the operator to transfer you to the department
you would most likely work at; once through the department, tactfully
ask the person on the other end to tell you the name of the person who
would make hiring decisions for the department. (Sometimes, it helps
if you tell the other person you are looking for advice as opposed to
a job.)
Even though HR does all the hiring, most of the job requisition
process starts at the departmental level. Sometimes, if you manage to
speak with the hiring manager before recruitment ads are placed, you
might eliminate all the competition that would otherwise come into
play once the ad placed.
(If possible, network with individuals at one level above, below, and
at the same level as the hiring manager. If these individuals also put
in a word for you, it would be like icing on a cake.)
Tell everyone
The more you network (also read
Grow Your Network), the faster you
will reach your career goals. Start by contacting everyone in your
address book. It doesn’t matter if they are not in your profession or
your geographic area of interest; they might just know of someone who
can help -- don’t assume they can’t help. Potential networking
contacts and platforms can include the following: friends, colleagues,
acquaintances, previous employers, industry associates, vendors,
customers, mentors, professors, industry/alumni associations, college
career centers, recruiters and headhunters, golf buddies, book club
members, support groups, places of worship, career fairs, community
and religious leaders, industry experts, etc. I would also add
individuals like barbers, massage therapists, doctors, vets, nail
salon owners and workers, waiters, bartenders, coaches, neighbors,
subway riders (of course, the ones you speak with), bus drivers ...
Now, I know that sounds like a stretch, but my stance is based on
experience. I recently coached a client to contact everyone she knew;
though reluctant at first, she took my advice seriously. She informed
her massage therapist about her employment interests; the therapist
happened to know a CEO (again, a client); the two connected and, voilà,
my client found her dream job. This is not an isolated example; the
employment world is a witness to many such stories everyday.
Remember, job networking will not produce instant results; it takes
patience, practice, and hard work to get there.
Recruiters and headhunters
Networking with
recruiters and headhunters is integral to the success
of any job networking effort. These are individuals who get paid
thousands of dollars to find the “right” candidate. (Certain
recruiters have a tremendous influence over the hiring manager.)
Given that almost 75% of openings will never be advertised, it is all
the more important to add job networking to your portfolio of
job
search or
career management strategies.
Related Articles:
Grow Your Network
Networking Tips For The Very Shy
Networking
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