Rules for Networking Success During a Job Search

It is interesting to note that around 70%-80% of all jobs are acquired via networking. Usually, people shy away from making use of a network when it comes to searching for jobs. They simply do not want to be labeled as being ‘pushy' or an overall ‘pest'. Well, networking does not mean that you have to call people within your network and ask for a job. If everyone just shied away from using their network, ‘a higher percentage of jobs are filled through networking' would have never been possible. People have successful professional networks and they are benefiting from the network as well in terms of career planning, development and job search.

Professional networking can benefit anyone and everyone. In fact, it's a kind of game where everyone who is a part of the network can benefit. To benefit from these networks, candidates, jobseekers, working parents and career changers need to know and follow the rules of the game. It really takes a lot of effort to develop and maintain a professional network. And finally when we are unable to gain from it, the effort that we put in may not be worth it. Moreover, there's nothing wrong in landing jobs through your professional contacts. Those who are not aggressive and take sincere interest in their contacts make for successful networkers and gain from the networking too. If you know the rules of successful networking, you are definitely going to help yourself during a job search or in your career development process.

If you thought networking was all about asking people for job openings, you need to give it a second thought. You do not ask people for jobs. Instead, you ask people you know for information that can help you land a job or through your job hunting process. Professional networking success comes from building relationships with people and taking sincere interests in the contacts. You only need to establish rapport and the contacts on your network would themselves want to refer for available job positions. Isn't that nice?

Yes, contacts on your professional networks can be very busy people. In any case, they would never want you to take up much of their valuable time. When one of your friends on the network has agreed for a 20-minute meeting with you, it will only scare them away if you take up an hour and a half in the meeting. Therefore, remember to step into a meeting with a prepared mental agenda. By planning your meeting in advance, you gain credibility and become a successful networker.

A person that you make contacts with may know 200 or more people. So, you need to understand the value of people who are on your professional network. To benefit and to be successful, you can also ask your contacts to recommend you a professional organization or other people (who can actually help you) that they may know. Keep expanding your networking capacity as you continue meeting with contacts.

To be a successful networker, you need to devote and spend time on professional networking. You can keep contacts on your network informed of your progress. When you come across a great career article or some useful information related to career planning and development, you can send the article to your contacts along with a brief note. You should make it a habit to reconnect with people, establish rapport and gain credibility while networking.

In return, even your contacts can share some career related information with you. Remember to thank them for the information. Suppose, one of your contacts wants their child to send to a school or get their child enrolled in training program related to your field of study. You should take this opportunity to gain credibility on the professional network. Share your experiences about the school or college you attended or what you know about the degree or training program their child is interested in.

Networking is a long and ongoing process. To get success, you have got to know the networking rules that work and make you a successful networker. While networking, you need to have patience and persistence. Find opportunities to thank your contacts in person. If you were shying away from using the contacts on your network till now, it's about time you included the network as part of your job search or job hunting campaign. By networking successfully, you will not only have career opportunities but will also build life-long relationships with people.