Have you ever heard, “It’s all about who you know?” It’s especially true when it comes to job seeking. Many open positions aren’t posted on job boards or classified ads, but are sent throughout the organization to see if anyone knows of a qualified candidate through their network.
According to The Wall Street Journal, 94% of successful job hunters claimed that networking had made all the difference for them.
While it’s still important to have an effective resume, transferable skills, and strong interview experience, you shouldn’t ignore the great value networking can have on your job search. Check out this animated clip that illustrates the value of building a web of relationships for your job search.
Comments
I have been a Career Practitioner for almost 20 years after taking an early retirement package from TELUS. Even before the internet and social networking sites the experts said most work seekers are spending 80 or 90 % oftheir time in passive activities. Evidently that behaviour has not changed. Do job seekers think that the professional coaches do not know what they are talking about or is there some lack of real intent to find a suitable position? Recently there was an article that said very few post-secondary students use campus career services. They seem to think all they have to do is wave their diploma around and someone will hire them because they were “told” that a degree is a guarantee of a job. Add to that their belief that they don’t have to begin at an entry level even though they have no experience and their degree only shows they are probably good test takers. If one recalls the survey that showed the student most likely to cheat on an exam is taking a commerce degree then the prospective employer doesn’t even know the graduate actually learned anything much less how to apply it.