Behold the power of networking!
Until my face turns blue, I will stress networking. The benefits to your job search are endless and becoming good at it will make you a better candidate.
Consider the case I found in a (you guessed it) Wall Street Journal article. After fruitlessly searching the internet for job leads, leads which never amounted to anything, this particular job seeker started exploiting his network. He did an informational interview set up by someone he had not been in contact with for two years. He kept informed about the field enough to know the firm where he did the informational interview had secured a large client. He sent a note of congratulations to the person who interviewed him and inquired about new openings related to the new client. BOOM…job.
Networking works! It works better than internet job searches and newspaper job searches. Those are too passive in a tight job market. You need to be of a mindset that someone else is out there looking for the same type of job you are. What are you going to do to gain an advantage?
The strength of your network will always be an advantage that is unique to you and you alone. No one else knows the exact same combination of people that you do. Learn to use them as the fellow above did.
The final point of the article is vital as well. Your application materials must be beyond reproach. No errors of grammar or spelling. Perfect formatting. Every bullet lined up. The tight job market and the glut of applicants allow the hiring folks to be extremely picky.
Leave a Reply