Networking for job-search success
Networking for job-search success
Have you ever wondered how hiring managers fill jobs that haven’t even been advertised?
Companies start with the people they already know.
Which means that how companies look for candidates, and how candidates look for jobs start from opposite directions 👀.
Companies will always begin with their employees, followed by their network. Whereas candidates tend to start with the least effective strategy – job boards.
If you’re proactive with your networking strategy BEFORE your ideal job is even advertised, you’ll be way ahead of the competition.
Here’s how:
🎯 First, you need to be clear about who your target is. What type of organisation do you want to work for?
🎯 Make a list of your top 20 organisations. Research the best performing companies in your industry; look at Glassdoor; read the trade press; ask around.
🎯 Then write a list of 100 people you know – your friends, family, community, ex-colleagues.
🎯 Let them know that you’re actively looking for a new opportunity. Ask them who they can introduce you to.
↪ Don’t make assumptions. They might not be in the same industry/profession as you, but they might have all sorts of people in their contact book.
↪ You don’t know who they know until you start asking questions.
↪ If they can’t make any direct introductions, who do they know who can?
↪ Spell out what type of job you’re looking for and exactly what you can offer – they won’t know by osmosis.
This is just the start.
🎯 Once you have a few contacts to follow up with, think about what you can do for them.
🎯 Have conversations, build relationships, solve problems. This is the activity that leads to referrals.
So you’re at the top of the list when they’re ready to hire 🕵️.
It takes time and effort. It’s a long game, so start today. The time will pass anyway.
And if you’re not happy where you are, you can move. You are not a tree 🌳.
Please reshare this is if you think it could help someone in your network.