Job Search Networking -- How to Do it Effectively

What is job search networking? And what are the secrets to make it work for you?

Back in the days of horse drawn carriages and trading products for services, commerce was dependent entirely on word of mouth. Sure, a retailer or other service provider had to identify a product or service that he could 'sell' to his neighbors, friends and family, and then he had to get the message out.

There was no telephone, no internet, no tv, not even radio in early days. Word of mouth was the only ticket to livelihood for our forefathers.

Needless to say, a good reputation was crucial in successful business. People counted on others to spread the word about their products and services, and businessmen scratched each other’s backs, so to speak, by sharing contacts and referring each other to new buyers. That is what networking is. That is why it’s often referred to as doing it the old fashioned way.

You're already doing it.

You meet a friend for lunch and she instantly compliments you on your new hair style, and asks where you got the cut? You reply with praise about your stylist and how you highly recommend her. You also give your friend the exact contact information for reaching your stylist. You may not know it, but you just practiced networking. And from your stylist's perspective, networking is silently working for her without her even knowing it.

Career networking.

In the context of building your career, job search networking (sometimes called career networking) means building an ever expanding web of contacts in related industries, creating a "buzz" about yourself, and getting yourself in front of the right people, where you can make an impression on someone who has decision making authority.

The goal of this is not only to position yourself as the front runner in a job search before it even begins, but to effectively bypass the competition completely

It is effective 100% of the time.

There's a right way, and a wrong way to do it.

Job search networking is building relationships and advancing yourself or someone else through word of mouth and referrals. It’s really very simple. So simple that many are probably wondering now how it can possibly necessitate an entire job search networking e-book.

Well, the reality is that career networking is extremely powerful.

But if it isn’t done right, it can just as easily work against you.

In the chapters of "Your Dream Job Starts Here," career advisor Rachel Landry shows how to make a positive first and lasting impression every time you contact someone, as well as how to plan and manage your job search networking campaign effectively.

Our recommendations?

Read the book.

Make your plan.

Build your network.

Don't stop until you land your dream job.