Experts say that a mere 20% of jobs are advertised and that the remaining 80% of existing jobs are in the “invisible job market.” As unfair as it may be that you have no easy way of learning which companies are offering which professions, which may or may not pertain to you, there is a way to gain access to the invisible job market other than having the perfect resume.
To successfully navigate your way to the unadvertised jobs, you need to have excellent networking skills. But what exactly does networking mean? How does one network at all, let alone exceptionally well?
Basically, networking is talking to many professionals in a particular company, establishing connections, and using those connections to learn more about said company and to learn about the unadvertised positions. Professionals enjoy hiring someone that they already know, rather than having to go through:
If you are an extroverted or outgoing individual, the concept of going out and meeting professionals might be exciting, or, at the very least, easy; it is fundamentally talking to people and exchanging contact information. For the introverts, the shy people, or the inexperienced, the task of networking becomes much more daunting and infinitely more complicated. What do you say? Where do you network? What do you do?
Below are some tips for effective networking, and the answers to the aforementioned questions.
WHERE DO YOU NETWORK
The first step of networking is actually finding the people you need to talk to. You can find people to formally network with at career fairs and on online places like LinkedIn. However, networking can be a fairly informal process. Look at who you know and where they work- networking with those people could mean getting a cup of coffee with them and asking some questions about their company and position.
WHAT ARE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO ASK?
Asking the right questions shows your motivation to working at that particular company, your knowledge about the particular job sector, and whether you would be a right fit for a certain position. Good questions to ask while networking fall under certain categories, and those categories allow for the networker to do more talking, rather than you. The categories are:
WHAT DO ELSE DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NETWORK?
Besides that, it would be wise to carry a few copies of your CV or resume in case someone asks for it. But other than that, do not thrust it onto a person without previously asking for a business card. That way, you are exchanging your information for their information.
Now that you understand networking a little bit more, you will have greater access to a greater amount of jobs. Happy job-hunting!
Completed an acting gig? Looking for your first casting call? Let us help you place…
Most resumes today are either too traditional or overly artistic. Like it or not, unless…
Are you about to take an interview for a job but you’re worried about impressing…
This post is dedicated to Mac users who wants to make their own resume with Apple's word…
Just starting out as a fresh graduate with a design background? Check out this free…
In the days of yore, long before we used Linkedin to find a job, you…