Does lack of a network matter in job hunting ?
Lack of a network is rarely a presenting problem. If you're really just afraid of looking for a new job you'd come up with a seemingly more difficult problem to overcome.
Most jobs today are filled through personal contacts rather than ads. The search for expertise is the perfect cover for developing a network of your own. Ask for informational interviews. Tap into your existing network, both personal and professional, to ask for the names of anyone, and I do mean anyone, who is connected to the industry or profession you're exploring.
Your neighbor can give you the name and telephone number of his brother who's in the software business. Your accountant can introduce you to the name of the software consultant she used to set up her tax program.
Never bring up jobs during these meetings. Instead, just ask for advice, information, and guidance about the business. You're on a quest for knowledge, not a job hunt.
At the end of each meeting ask for the names of others who might be able to help you learn about the business. After a few months of these meetings you'll have the network you once lacked.
This is one instance where it's what you don't say that matters most. If you indicate that you're really on a job hunt rather than a quest for knowledge you'll have lost any trust that your other efforts may have generated.
There's really no need to turn these nos into yeses. If someone refuses to meet with you to discuss their business, just thank them for their time and move on to the next name on your list.
Most jobs today are filled through personal contacts rather than ads. The search for expertise is the perfect cover for developing a network of your own. Ask for informational interviews. Tap into your existing network, both personal and professional, to ask for the names of anyone, and I do mean anyone, who is connected to the industry or profession you're exploring.
Your neighbor can give you the name and telephone number of his brother who's in the software business. Your accountant can introduce you to the name of the software consultant she used to set up her tax program.
Never bring up jobs during these meetings. Instead, just ask for advice, information, and guidance about the business. You're on a quest for knowledge, not a job hunt.
At the end of each meeting ask for the names of others who might be able to help you learn about the business. After a few months of these meetings you'll have the network you once lacked.
This is one instance where it's what you don't say that matters most. If you indicate that you're really on a job hunt rather than a quest for knowledge you'll have lost any trust that your other efforts may have generated.
There's really no need to turn these nos into yeses. If someone refuses to meet with you to discuss their business, just thank them for their time and move on to the next name on your list.
[posted by : OFP on Oct. 29, 2009]
TAGS: job