Career Services Office
Networking
It's not what you know, it's WHO you know! Networking is the number one way of finding a job, and according to recent statistics, nearly 70 percent of jobs are obtained this way. When you couple that number with the fact that many other job search techniques involve some degree of networking, it emerges as perhaps the single most important thing you can do to find a job.
What is networking?
Have you heard of the Six Degrees of Separation Theory? It states that every person in the world is connected to each other through no more than five other people. This means that through your informal "network," you should be able to connect to many people who are either in the career field or in the organization that you are interested in pursuing. Networking is an honest effort to connect with as many people as possible who can assist you with your job search.
How to begin the networking process
The first step to networking is to build a list of your contacts. Your contacts should include almost everyone who you know: current and former classmates, current and former co-workers, members of organizations you are involved in, alumni from Illinois and from other universities you have attended, friends, neighbors, relatives, and faculty members. After you build this network, begin to talk to the people whom you know well and ask them whom they know. You will gradually start to find people who can put you in contact with others who can aid you in your job search.
How can networking help me?
Many people will tell you that they landed their first job through a contact rather than a job posting. Networking can help you in two major ways.
- Most job opportunities are never posted to the outside world. By telling everyone within your network that you are seeking a job, you are automatically opening yourself up to the "hidden" job market. Ask everyone in your network to let you know if they know of any job opportunities in your desired field, and have them spread the word to everyone within THEIR network. All of the sudden, you have potentially hundreds of people keeping their eyes and ears peeled for job opportunities for you!
- Employers are much more likely to interview someone who is recommended to them by someone they trust than to hire someone about whom they know nothing. If you find an organization you are interested in working for, activate your network! Start asking everyone you know if they know a manager in the ABC Department of the XYZ Company. Even if none of your contacts know such a person, it is still probable that someone within their network knows such a person.
A Few More Notes About Networking
- Networking must always be reciprocated. If you want people to help you, you need to help those who are trying to make contact with you or your network.
- Networking requires careful record keeping. To be effective, you need to know the name and some basic information about the contact who led you to the organization you are pursuing.
- Always maintain your network extremely carefully. Send thank you notes if someone helped you, holiday cards to stay in touch, and regular notes to update them on your progress.
