When it comes to job searching you may have heard that “it’s all in who you know.” Well, it is true that getting a job is about “connecting” with potential employers. They have to know about you and to meet with you before they can hire you. You might be thinking- “I don’t know anyone who can help me with a job search in my chosen field/ industry.” In reality, however, you probably have many more contacts that can support you than you realize. Also, your immediate contacts (people you know) can be referred to as your primary contacts. Your primary contacts can refer you to secondary contacts (people they know). Secondary contacts can refer you to their contacts and so on and so on. It’s often through these secondary contacts and their subsequent referrals that you hit the jack pot in terms of potential employers of interest. In addition, these connections will often put you in touch with decision makers who are aware of staffing needs before they are “advertised” to the public. Have you ever heard of “the hidden job market”? Well, tapping into unadvertised staffing needs is the same as tapping into the hidden job market. In an earlier edition of Howard Figler’s book, The Complete Job Search Handbook, the author noted, “A Friend of mine wondered where in the world she would learn about the banking field and get the contacts she so desperately needed. Meanwhile, she sat beside a bank teller on the bus to work, tripped over a bank vice-president on her way into the building, had lunch with a friend who lived next door to a big money man in the financial district, and went bowling that night with a city manager who was about to close a deal with his local bank for downtown redevelopment. The best sources are walking past you, if you have the presence of mind to tap them on the shoulder.” The key here is to find the people who have the knowledge about the industries, work settings, and job functions that interest you the most and to give them the privilege of sharing their storehouse of information with you.

YOUR CONTACT LIST
On a blank sheet of paper, list all the people you know, whether or not they are familiar with your chosen work field(s)/work setting(s) of interest. These people do not need to know about specific job openings. Instead, think of them as information sources and as part of your communication network. This list could include relatives, friends, co-workers and bosses (past and present), neighbors, religious leaders, school acquaintances (yours, children’s, etc.- these could include teachers, classmates, counselors, and administrators), physicians and other health care practitioners, accountant, attorney, banker, insurance agent, hair dresser, mail delivery person, and fellow members of religious, civic, athletic, ad trade/professional associations. This suggested list of potential contacts is not meant to be all inclusive. Use it as a starting point and see who else you can add to the list. After you have completed your contact list (and you can bet that your list will grow as you remember more and more contacts over time), add phone numbers and addresses to your list to facilitate follow-up with your contacts as needed.

NOW WHAT?
Ask your contacts one or more of the following:
-Do you know anyone who does the type of work that I am looking for (or work that is similar in nature to the type of work that I am looking for)?
-Do you know anyone who works in the industry (or industries) that I wish to explore?
-Do you know anyone who works in this type of work setting or with this specific employer?
Then ask…Would your contact(s) be willing to meet with me informally to answer a few questions?

My challenge to you is to see if you can come up with a list of at least 50 contact people.  Even if you argue that you don’t know that many people, my bet is that you will be able to name at least that many contacts if you really try. 

Until next time…
Sue Posluszny
www.careeroptions4me.com

For more information about me and my qualifications, please click here.