Did you know that most job openings are not advertised? It's true — most employers have enough applicants without advertising. They often prefer to find employees from people they trust. This network of referrals is the "hidden job market." You can tap into this network by getting to know people who can help you.
Use the Your Network (pdf) to organize everyone that is in your network.
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Tips for Building Your Network |
Ask for information.
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You can ask about the occupation. You can also ask about industries or employers.
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You ask about what you want to know.
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Be polite. Don’t be too pushy or you may turn people off.
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Be prepared to talk about yourself.
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Make sure you’re clear about your job skills and background for your job target.
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Have your resume ready.
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Follow good networking habits.
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Networking is about building relationships.
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Think about ways to give something back to those who have helped you. Your contacts will be more likely to help you if you have helped them in the past.
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Find people in your job target.
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Start with friends, family members, past coworkers, and neighbors. They may know someone in your target job.
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Tell them about your career goals and skills you have.
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Send thank-you notes when people are helpful to you.
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Always show that you appreciate their time and thank them for any information, referrals, or job leads you get.
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Find a mentor.
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This is a person who knows about the occupation you are interested in.
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Get feedback on your job search ideas and questions.
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Ask to shadow someone on the job.
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Look into professional groups.
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See if your job target has a professional group. Many members are eager to help job seekers. They may know employers with job openings. They can also help you stay up to date in your industry.
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Meetup is a great place to find targeted networking groups! You can even start your own group.
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Keep your key contacts informed about your efforts in the job search.
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Your key contacts want to help you.
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Avoid being considered spam by sending too many emails to a large number of emails at once. Some of your contacts may not be comfortable with you sharing their contact information, and will be less likely to help you if your emails get sent to a junk folder.
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