Career Placement continued Part 3 - Networking

Networking

When I graduated from college, I immediately began my job search in Louisville. I had a resume, a college degree and I wanted to move to the city. I applied for jobs and got a few interviews but not a job offer. My job applications far exceeded my interviews. After months, I became very frustrated and my father offered his assistance. He told me that he would help me get my foot in the door (because he knew people) but it was up to me to sell myself in the interview. That assistance ultimately landed me a job. I learned from that experience. It is called networking.

Networking is the art of using your contacts to generate other contacts. You need to find a way to connect yourself to your dream job through family, friends, and acquaintances. It is a very
important in your job search. It offers another avenue to reach employers... It allows you to present yourself and your networking objective in a much more personal way than an online resume can.

Many employers hire from co-worker and/or friend referrals. We all have friends and family members who work and can help us. Identify those people who can be a part of your job search and ask for their assistance. Speak with them, tell them you are job searching. Visit their company's website to view job vacancies. Let your networking group know the types of jobs that you have applied for or are interested in and would they refer you.

Remember, you should never be afraid to let people know that you’re looking for work. Someone somewhere knows of that elusive job opening, and you need to talk to the right people to find out how.

Posted (March 3 on CNN's Website about "putting your best face foward")"The idea is the more you put yourself out there the more likely you will get something back in return. A lot of people go online but that's the least effective method of searching."

Online job postings are on the decline. In the month of February, there were only two advertised vacancies for every 100 people in the labor force, according to the Conference Board. With that kind of competition, it's tough to make your résumé stand out. "It's always about leveraging your network."