The Importance of Networking in a Job Search

Networking is an important part of the job search

Whether you are a recent college graduate looking for your first position, or a laid-off professional trying to get back into the field, don't underestimate the importance of networking in a job search. Creating a network of professional contacts can help you to find unadvertised jobs, build your professional skills to make yourself more employable and help you get your career on the right track.

Industry Contacts

No one works in a vacuum; knowing people who work within your industry is the key to both your professional success and your job search success. Networking is the perfect way to meet the professionals in your field who can offer you new perspectives on your industry and assist you in seeking new job opportunities.

Attend professional conferences and trade shows, and make an effort to meet and exchange contact information with others there. These industry contacts can help you locate employers, determine which employers are right for you, and point you in the right professional direction.

Mentoring

Most great success stories have some mentoring aspect in their narrative--the older executive who recognized the younger person's talent. Finding a mentor through networking can be your way to find that mentor that can help you to get the position where you can write your own success story.

Most mentors are created by motivated individuals who seek out more experienced people in their fields. Find a person in your industry who has the professional and personal qualities you aspire to, and learn from that person. Doing so can help you get your foot in the door for the position you've been looking for.

Word of Mouth

When you have a network of professional contacts you interact with on a regular basis, your opportunities to find employment grow exponentially. Your colleagues who are part of your professional network can let you know about positions that have recently come open, contract work that may lead to full-time employment and other valuable job opportunities.

Unadvertised Positions

Many job openings exist on a "hidden" market--they are unadvertised to the public. If you network with people in your industry, you are in a perfect position to hear about jobs in the hidden market and apply for them first.

Considerations

Make your professional networking just that - professional. If you plan to include professional contacts in your social networking life, using sites such as Twitter and Facebook, be very careful about what you post about your personal life to these sites - who knows how your Saturday night antics will look to those in your professional circle on Monday morning.

Don't network solely for the purpose of finding a job. Your efforts will be transparent, and no one wants to be a stepping stone. Be genuinely interested in your professional contacts, and learn from them.

Until something permanent or better-paying is available, use your networking skills to get an internship or volunteer time. It's job experience that may lead to bigger and better things.

References

• Quintcareers.com: Frequently Asked Questions About Career Networking
• Quintcareers.com: Networking Do's and Don'ts

Resources

• The Art of Career and Job-Search Networking