If you are looking for work, network. It is so easy my daughter was able to do it after her first year of college. while home for the summer she wanted a job. She used her network and mine and found a great job. If you are looking for work, use your networks online and in the real world to get a job.
When you are serious about looking for a job, network and start using all the tools at your disposal – those in the real world and online.
Most people understand how networking works in the real world. It is like six degrees of separation. You know someone who knows someone who knows someone and you use those connections to help you get a job. The internet and smartphones put dozens of social networks right in the palm of our hands. This means that we are potentially connected to millions of people who can help us to find work.
In the summer of after her first year at college, my eldest daughter was home from college for the summer and wanted a job. She used her social network which included my friends on Facebook and found a job. I sent a message to a friend on Facebook asking her for suggestions about where my daughter could apply. My friend posted a status update asking people in her network to suggest places where my daughter could apply for a real job. One of our mutual friends saw the post, communicated with my daughter and within a few hours, my daughter had a job. Later, my daughter’s boss told her one of the things that helped her get the job was the status updates I wrote about her on social media.
Now of course, once my daughter got the job, she had to work hard, perform at a high level and make her boss happy, which she did. But, it all started with her using her networks in real life and online in order to find a job. Think about it, if a college freshman was able to use her network to find a job, anyone can do it. It is not a matter of experience. It is a matter of taking the resources you have available to you and using them in the best way possible.
When you network to find a job, network with a plan.
When you are ready to look for a job and plan to use your networks to do so, start with a plan. Before you can ask your network for help to find a job, you need to gather some information and have it at your fingertips. The information you need to have readily available includes the following:
- An up-to-date resume
- A list of dream jobs
- Decide whether you are willing to relocate
- What support/assistance you want – reference, contact name, other
- Your employment elevator pitch
At a basic level, the bare minimum you must have an up-to-date resume. Ideally, you should customize your resume for each position for which you apply. Make sure your resume does not have typos, exaggerations or misinformation. No matter what resume format you choose, be sure to include the name of each employer, the location (city, state) and the tasks you performed that are relevant to the new position you are seeking to obtain.
If you are using your network to help you find a job, you must have a listing of the types of jobs you would like to obtain. You must make it easy for people in your network to help you. A list of the jobs or types of jobs you want makes it possible for those in your network to determine quickly and with ease if they are able to assist you. When you give your network guidance, they are able to give you the support you need to find the job you want.
Social networks enable us to speak with people all around the nation and indeed, all around the world. This means that when you let your network know you are looking for a job, there is a potential that you will get offers from all around the world. If you are not willing to relocate out-of-state or out of the country, you must let your network know this information. This information is important for your network so that they give you assistance in your desired geographic location.
