NETWORKING

Networking: What's It All About?
By Gina S. Frigault, Avila University

We've all heard the saying "It's not what you know, but whom you know." For years this has bothered me. I had always been taught to work hard and advance on my own merit. While I still adhere to that general philosophy, I now admit that whom you know (contacts) can be at least as important as what you know (education, skills and experience).

Networking is the art of developing valuable contacts through friends, faculty, family, alumni, and professional and community groups. For our own purposes, networking will be considered as a major benefit in your job search process.

Richard N. Bolles, author of the classic, "What Color is Your Parachute?" writes, "The more people you know, the more people you meet, the more people you talk to, the more people you enlist as part of your own personal job-hunting network, the better your job-finding success is likely to be."

When you consider that a maximum of 20% of all job openings are publicly advertised, you may begin to realize the importance and value of "networking" with as many people as possible. After all, how will you ever learn about the other 80%+ job vacancies?

Effective networking helps you to strategically develop contacts and uncover job leads. It helps you tap into the "hidden job market." It increases your chances of being at the right place at the right time.

Some wise soul once said "he who has a thing to sell and goes and whispers it in a well, is not so apt to get the dollars as he who climbs a tree and hollers." This saying can certainly be applied to your job search - whether for an internship, summer job, part-time or full-time employment. Let as many people as possible know that you are job searching. Ask that they keep their eyes and ears open on your behalf. Ask them to share contacts that might be of assistance. The more related these contacts are to your field of interest, the better.

 

Employers often network with their colleagues, seeking referrals for positions within their organization. Authors of the book, "Work in the New Economy: Careers & Job Seeking into the 21st Century," stress that employers prefer hiring referrals rather than strangers, and get better people through this means. "Jobs from referrals are better and pay more," they comment, while unsolicited résumés or "cold calls" more often lead to lower paying jobs.

If advertising vacancies publicly is a "last resort" for many employers, should the use of the want ads be a last resort for you? And, now that you're better informed, doesn't networking look like a viable option? If so, be sure to set time aside to begin or continue your own networking process. Attend professional association luncheons, employer fairs, and community events that provide opportunities for you to practice your networking skills and help build your contacts.