Networking in the Job Search World

By Barb Smith

Networking has gotten a bad rap. When I introduce the topic in a workshop, most of the faces looking back at me have assumed an “I’ll listen but don’t expect me to do it” expression. To be completely honest, there was a time when I felt the same way, but not anymore. Although building and using a contact network wasn’t easy, I could no longer ignore all the experts telling me that networking was the road to career success. Guess what? They were right!

The job market is made up of two sectors – the smaller (25-30%) visible market and the larger (70-75%) invisible market. If you compare the two in terms of saturation, here’s how it plays out. The visible market is popular with job seekers (probably due to ease of accessibility) so at any one time, it is safe to assume that most job seekers are spending time applying for those visible jobs. That’s 90 to 100% of job seekers in 25 to 30% of the market making it one competitive arena!

The invisible market is a different story. Here we have approximately 30% of job seekers in the invisible market at any one time. That’s 30% of job seekers in 70 to 75% of the market, a far less competitive scenario. So, how does one access opportunities in the invisible market? You guessed it – networking.

Still not convinced? Consider this: advertising a job opening can cost an employer thousands of dollars. If you are effective in your networking and identify an interesting position before it has been advertised, you have two important factors working in your favour:

1. You have little, if any competition.
   
2. If you win the position, you will be saving the company significant money, making you a favourable candidate.
   

Give networking a try

Start by making a list of everyone you know, and I mean everyone: your past co-workers, supervisors, the people from the gym, your barber/hairdresser, your lawyer, other soccer/baseball/hockey parents, school/college/university friends; anyone you can think of.

Once you have an exhaustive list, think about what you want to say when you call. You may want information about a company or you may want to let them know you’re in the job market and the kind of job you’re looking for. If it’s the latter, be clear and specific about your goal so your contacts can be effective in helping you find appropriate leads. And don’t forget the magic phrase for building your network: “can you think of anyone else I should be talking to?”

If it feels awkward at first, don’t worry. You’ll get better with practice. If you express your appreciation and look for ways to return the favour, you’ll find that people will help if they can. Wouldn’t you?

Barb Smith is a professional Job Search Coach in London, Ontario who applies the employer’s perspective when helping individuals find satisfying jobs with a minimum of stress and frustration. For more information, contact Barb at 519.691.0218 or email barb@barbsmithjobsearchcoach.ca. www.BarbSmithJobSearchCoach.ca

Published in Networking Today, February 2007