What if there were a secret tool that could open doors to great jobs where you had an inside track that others do not have? The good news? There is, and it’s called networking.
Whether you have just graduated from college and are embarking on your first job search, or you’re mid-career and find yourself searching again, chances are you are likely feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Where do you start? Are you spending hours, or days, or weeks, looking for jobs online, applying and hearing nothing back? Trust me, this is not the best way to find a job, and here’s why.
As of this May, there are approximately 1.8 million newly minted college graduates seeking employment. Add to that number those who graduated in 2014 and are still looking for work, and anyone who has been downsized or laid off and have much more experience than you might have. The odds are overwhelmingly not in your favor.
Why? Any job posting that you find online also is available to anyone looking for a job. Employers often get hundreds, if not thousands, of applications for a single position.
This has given rise to sophisticated computerized resume tools designed to screen out unqualified candidates within seconds of the time you push the “send” button. So how can you increase your odds of getting the coveted interview?
You need to network. Networking is a critical skill to develop not only to help you get a job, but also to help you once you land the job. Relationship building is important to getting things done in companies and requires practice and effort.
Think about when you have needed help. To whom did you go for advice or assistance? Most likely it was your friends and family.
People who know you (and like you) or have a common bond with you are much more likely to offer to help you. That is why you need to develop your network. If you’ve graduated from a college or university with a strong alumni association, it’s one of the best networking avenues you have.
The other is LinkedIn, which is the ultimate business networking tool. If you aren’t familiar with it, it’s essentially Facebook for business.
LinkedIn makes it easy to find fellow alumni by field of interest, college major, city, among others, through its alumni tool. Best of all, because you share a common connection, your college, you don’t need to know the person’s email address or have worked together to be able to connect.
If you’ve never used LinkedIn’s search tool and need some help, this blog post shows you in simple, easy steps how to leverage LinkedIn effectively to network with alumni.
Ideally, target alumni who are 10 to 15 years past graduation, as they are more likely to hold positions of manager, director or vice president. They will be better positioned inside their companies to help you connect with the right people.
Most alumni will happily grant you a half an hour of their time for an informational interview. Be sure to do your homework and research your new contact, their company and the industry before you ask them to share their valuable time.
So don’t waste any more time. Start networking now to leverage your personal and collegiate connections. Remember, you are much more likely to land an interview if your resume and cover letter are sent to the hiring manager by someone inside the company — someone who ideally not only knows you, but also likes you.
Lisa R. Miller is founder and chief career catalyst at C2C, College to Career, where she helps college students, recent graduates and young professionals navigate the transition from college to career.