Article
Job Search 101
Do you remember Baz Luhrmann? The Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) guy from the late 1990s? I loved his sage advice about wearing sunscreen, flossing, stretching, travelling, and respecting your elders. My advice about job search is as simple as his advice about wearing sunscreen: network. If I could offer you only one tip for your job search, networking would be it.
Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities. ~ Michele Jennae
Approximately 80% of available jobs are not advertised. That means that it is up to you to get out there and find them and networking is the tool to do just that. Networking is all about building relationships, asking questions, and sharing information. It is about more than who knows you; it is about who you know. Networking is about research.
You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. ~ Dale Carnegie
A successful job search is about so much more than submitting an application for a job posting. It is about knowing who you are, what you want, and your value proposition. It is about knowing what makes you a good fit for a particular job, and being able to clearly articulate your knowledge, skills, and abilities.
One of my favourite verses from “Everybody’s Free” is this:
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.
Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Networking can help you to make decisions about what you want to do with your life and can help you to navigate the transitions you will undoubtedly face throughout your life. It can open up doors to opportunities you did not know existed. According to a recent Jobvite survey of job seekers, 4 in 10 job seekers have found their “favourite or best” job through personal contacts. Interestingly enough, recruiters find their highest quality of candidates through referrals and social networks. If you aren’t networking you might be missing out on finding your “favourite or best” job.
The richest people in the world look for and build networks, everyone else looks for work. ~ Robert Kiyosaki
According to the same Jobvite survey of job seekers, 94% of recruiters are active on LinkedIn while only 36% of job seekers are. Building a network on LinkedIn and connecting with colleagues, subject matter experts, and industry gurus is not only beneficial from a personal and professional development perspective but from an information sharing and innovation perspective.
How are you networking and connecting with others? What questions are you asking? What information are you sharing? Remember that networking is just as much about giving as it is about getting. Remember, being a good networker is like being a good friend!
The currency of real networking is not greed but generosity. ~ Keith Ferrazzi
Happy Networking,
For a FREE 30 minute job search consultation please feel free to contact Paula directly at paula@careerdesignsforlife.com or 780.589.2245.
