Networking

In today’s job hunt, it is important to understand the importance of networking. Studies show that up to 65 to 80% of all hires come from networking. If that is the case, then it becomes extremely important to utilize that tool in your job search efforts. Most people use the classified ads and/or the Internet to focus on their job leads. This can be helpful, but by the time companies place those job ads in the paper as well as the Internet, many days, if not weeks or months have passed since that job was known to be vacant inside the company. Also, you are now competing with everyone else who is reading that same ad that you are. Competition becomes much greater.

Inside Help

The ability to find work becomes much easier by networking and utilizing the people you know, or who they know that they can introduce you to. This becomes even easier today. Many employers are wanting to find good employees and they have the luxury of being very selective in today’s labor market. Finding good employees becomes easier for those employers if they can have reliable input from staff they trust or know. Many employers are creating incentive plans for their employees for recommending  “good referrals” to the employer. Joann Lublin’s addresses this in her article “Greasing the Inside Track to a Job.” Employers are taking advantage of the knowledge base of their current employees, to provide suggestions for potential hires. If those new hires workout during a possible probation period, the referring employee can receive some type of bonus. A win-win-win. The new hire wins, the employer wins, plus the referring employee wins. Sweet!

The more you can use your network, the better your chances will be in finding a new job quickly. Plus the fit may be much better. When you have a recommendation from someone that knows you and can attest to your abilities, plus they probably know what you may like in a job environment, people to work with, etc., that can improve your chances of truly enjoying your new job and make it a much better fit for you and the employer.

Happy networking!

Personal Perceived Marketing Value – Branding

Recently I attended an in-service provided by my local Chamber of Commerce. The speaker was in the business of company branding.  I enjoyed his discussion on how to think about making yourself special or unique. In his explanation, he used the analogy of two pennies.  He asked, “What if you were shown two pennies and were told to choose one to keep for yourself?”  He then stated that, neither one of them were rare or special in any way.  Since both were pretty much the same in appearance and value, it would probably be a complete toss-up on which one you choose.  Right!  He then proceeded with the following. “But what if you were told that one of them came from the pocket of President John Kennedy?  Would you be more likely to choose that one?” As we can see, that new bit of information adds a new dimension to one of the coins.  In the words of the presenter, that penny now has an increase in perceived market value.

The in-service was directed toward business owners and developing an image for their business.  This illustration caused me to think about job seekers and what they provide potential employers.  If we are in job search, what do we present to employers that increases our PERCEIVED MARKET VALUE?  I believe part of that can come from looking at the value we bring to an employer.  That can come in many forms.  One form is what I call the “HOW” of what you do.  I described this in a post I made earlier titled “Selling Yourself In Job Search” where I talk about creating that uniqueness.  Other areas that can be effective, is looking at what you bring that provides a CONNECTION between the company and the customer, what do you bring as a product and  what SERVICE can you provide.

In our efforts to find employment or develop our business, it is important the perception that others have about us.  What are you doing to generate your perceived market value?  Hopefully, you’re creating a good one!

The Strength of Weak Ties

The experts say that most of us know about 250 people. When they say you “know”  that many, they don’t mean that you go out to dinner with that many, or even have every one of their home phone numbers. But that’s the number of people who you can claim as friend, relative, or acquaintance. These are people you interact with, who would recognize you or your name. Within your circle of 250, there are the core people; the few that you are especially close to. That would include your family, closest friends and possibly your co-workers, and maybe another twenty or thirty that you socialize with or see regularly. Outside of your core are the rest of your 250; these are the ones that you are obviously not as close to, like your wife’s cousin out in Oregon that you see once every two years, that nice older woman in the Accounting Department you see once a month or your neighbor’s bratty kid.

It makes sense that the people you are closest to will have more in common with you.  They will tend to have the same interests as you, and they will tend to know the same people as you.  There can be a lot of overlap between your circle of 250 and their circle of 250, and because of that overlap, they will be more likely to know what you know. And in the same way, they will be more likely to not know what you also don’t know; in this case, possible job-openings. It is when you start getting farther away from your core, and start finding people with less overlap between your 250 and theirs, that you will find the people and information that you, and those closest to you, are less likely to know. Though it may seem paradoxical, it is the people that you know least well, who are most likely to be helpful in your job hunt. This is called “The Strength of Weak Ties.”

You cannot ignore this concept. To make your job hunt more successful, you need to find people you do not know well, or at all. The less well you know them, the more helpful they are likely to be to you in your job search.

When networking, it becomes important to understand this concept. The more you develop those ties with individuals outside of your comfort zone, the better you will find what your looking for, a new job, career, or a new set of neighbors that don’t have a bratty kid. read more…