If
you're a job seeker, it pays to play the percentages.
A survey conducted by the New York Times says that 64 percent of job
seekers found employment through their networks. That's far and away
more than all other sources combined.
Here are the cold, hard facts:
64% networking
11% advertisements
12% search
firms
9% other
4% internet
That means you
should be spending most of your time working with and expanding your
networks.
But when I show my clients these statistics, many of them tell me,
"But I don't know that many people" or "I'm not very
good at networking."
If you feel like they do, I suggest you read the article below.
I'll tell you how to plug into THE number one network for finding
the right job for you.
Playing the percentages also pays off when taking career risks.
For every job
you apply for, you should have a contact inside that company. This
contact will hand deliver your resume to the hiring manager. This
is the number one way to find a job. It's been proven to be more successful
with my clients than any other networking idea or concept.
If you apply for
a job without a key contact, your chance of getting an interview (and
job) goes down 95 percent. You just become another resume sitting
in a pile with nothing helping you stand out.
When an "insider"
delivers your resume, your credibility soars. And if that person puts
in a good word about you, you're almost guaranteed an interview.
Finding an internal
advocate isn't as daunting or impossible as it may first appear.
In fact, I'd estimate
that 80 to 90 percent of my clients have been successful by using
these six steps:
Identify
the specific companies you want to work for.
Target the exact companies that fit the work you want to do. You
might choose 4-5 companies in one industry. The more companies you
select that fit your criteria, the more opportunities you will have.
Spread the
word to your network.
Begin by telling everyone you know about the work you want to do
and that you would appreciate their help. This includes your family,
relatives, friends of parents, neighbors, former employees, alumni
from your college and professional organization members.
Discover
your invisible network.
Your network is larger than you think. Take at least ONE TO TWO
FULL DAYS brainstorming to expand your network. Go through your
high school or college yearbooks looking for familiar faces. Think
about people who aren't your friends, but your life touches theirs.
People like barbers or hairdressers, bartenders, your trainer at
the gym, the mailman, your insurance agent, your doctor or dentist.
People who are in sales or service jobs typically have extensive
networks. And since you're a customer, they'll be more likely to
return the favor.
Network
THEIR network.
Ask for people to give you contacts who just know a lot of people
in and around your industry. You'll be surprised how often this
leads to a job opportunity.
Ask them
to make an introduction.
Chances are one of these people knows someone inside the company
you want to work for. Ask them to make an introduction to the person
who is hiring in the positions you want.
Don't let
geography stand in your way.
When you find someone who works for a large organization with multiple
offices and they don't know anyone in the specific division you
want to work for, don't let that stop you from leveraging them as
a key internal contact. They are still peers who work for the same
company. They can contact the hiring manager and say, "I work
in the Chicago office and I have a friend of mine in your city who
I want you to consider for the position." Even though your
contact doesn't know this person, it's still a personal introduction
that will get you the interview and then the job.
Once you've found
the insider, make sure your cover letter is addressed to the hiring
manager. This will be a small thing that will help you stand out from
the other applicants who say "to whom it may concern." In
your cover letter mention the contact that made the introduction and
state the areas that make you qualified for the position.
Everything you
do is about making a personal connection. Whether it's the person
inside the company who delivers the resume, or the cover letter that
is personalized, both will make it a customized first impression.
While everyone else is staying general or generic, you are specific
and personal. This will get you noticed.
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