Career Networking Tips

The importance of career networking shouldn't be discounted when you are in the midst of a job search. In fact, career networking should become a part of your daily work and career-related endeavors. Your career network should be in place for when you need it, both for job searching and for moving along the career ladder. Since you never know when you might need it, it makes sense to have an active career network, even if you don't need it today.

Who to Include in Your Career Network
Your career network should include anyone who can assist you with a job search or career move. if you've followed the steps laid out earlier, you have just created three separate networks that are already at work for you:

• A network of recruiters who will contact you over the course of the next few weeks and months.
• An unknown network of employers and recruiters who are searching for your skills and experience to match with their current open jobs.
• A Linkedin network of past employers, co-workers, bosses, friends, acquaintances, college buddies, roommates and study partners, all of whom have networks that are available to you.

Using common Internet tools, in a matter of a day or two, you have just exponentially expanded your networked and put to work employers and recruiters who want to either hire you or help you get hired.

Now you need to gather up any loose ends and begin to include family, neighbors, anyone you can think of that isn't part of Linkedin and anyone else who might have a connection that will help

What Your Career Network Can Do For You
Over 80% of job seekers say that their network has helped with their job search. Networking contacts can help with more than job leads. They can provide referrals to or insider information about companies you might be interested in working for. They can provide information on career fields you might want to explore or what the job market is like on the other side of the country. Your network can give you advice on where to look for jobs or review your resume. The possibilities are endless.

For very practical reasons, you want to use your network when you prospect for jobs.

Keep in Touch - Work Your Network
Don't just contact those who can help when you have just been laid-off from your job or decide you want to look for a new position. Keep in touch with your network regularly - even if it's just a brief email to say hello and ask how they are doing. People are more willing to help when they know who you are.

What You Can Do for Your Career Network
Networking shouldn't be a one way street. If you come across an interesting article or a relevant job listing, share it with your network. The point of having a career network is to have resources who can help, but, you should reciprocate, whenever you can.

Getting It Together Online
For organizing your networking efforts, the number one place you need to go to is LinkedIn. There you will find ways to connect with almost everyone in your past that you may have forgotten about and everyone you haven't. Co-workers from companies you worked at 10 years ago, to high school friends, and college study pals are all accessible one way or another at LinkedIn.

Not only is LinkedIn full of posted jobs that never get advertised elsewhere, if ever you find your ideal job at a company and  you don't know how to get your resume on the hiring manger's desk, LinkedIn, is a great resource to find someone who knows someone one who will email or hand deliver your resume so that it will get the special attention that it deserves.

Hiring manager are always looking for way to operate more effectively and if someone takes the trouble to get their resume in front of them, you bet you will get more than a cursory 20 seconds. If ever you had a chance for an interview with a hiring mangers, hand delivering or email delivery from someone within the company or someone that the hiring mangers knows, is your best bet, bar none.

Career Networking Works!
As you can see, career networking really does work and it's importance to have a viable network in place throughout your career and to use your network to your advantage when job searching or exploring career options.