MSL Chicago

Did you know that more than 60% of people find their jobs through networking? For many people, just hearing the word “networking” triggers a feeling of complete dread. This is probably because you immediately think you have to pick up the phone, call everyone you know and beg for a job. But in reality, networking is much less painful. It’s merely establishing professional relationships with others for the purpose of learning and sharing information, ideas and advice. Put that way, it doesn’t sound nearly so bad.

However, you will want to keep in mind that networking is a process and results, in the form of a new job, aren’t always immediate. So commitment to the process and patience are key. Most employers prefer to hire someone they know or that their employees know and recommend. So while it would be ideal to get in and meet the human resources director right off the bat, meeting and forming relationships with the company’s employees is the next best step. You can bet that when I receive a referral from a hard-working and intelligent employee, his/her referral moves to the top of the pile (assuming he/she has the right qualifications) for the next appropriate opportunity that is available.

Networking also plays to your advantage with the “hidden job market.” These are the jobs that for one reason or another are never advertised or posted by a company. Some statistics say that as much as 75% to 95% of total job vacancies are “hidden” jobs. By networking and keeping your interest and experience top of mind with employers, you have a greater shot of being considered for these opportunities.

So all that being said, how do you go about networking? Obviously there are a ton of approaches. Below are ones that I’ve found to be highly effective in the communications and agency world.

• Linkedin.com—Advertising, marketing and public relations professionals were early adopters of linkedin.com. If you are going to begin your networking and job searching, I highly recommend that you spend some time crafting your profile. The more information about your experience, skills, clients, etc., the better. As you connect with people, you can use the advanced search function to find out if any of your 1st connections have contacts that work in the industry or company that you are targeting. Once you find the persons that you want to connect with, I recommend that you get introduced to that person through your original or 1st connection. This is the linkedin.com way of not “spamming” someone and much appreciated to those on the receiving end.

• PRSA—The Public Relations Society of America, whether your local chapter or national chapter, hosts events, training seminars and the like. If you are not one to walk into those types of events solo and start introducing yourself, think about joining one of the PRSA committees where you can meet people in a more one-on-one way.

• University Alumni Network—Talk to your university and find out if they have an alumni directory that provides job titles, industry and contact information for graduates. Many times the school connection can bring about informational interviews with potential employers and word-of-mouth referrals to the alumni’s network of contacts.

• Volunteer organizations—Volunteering is a great way to meet people personally and professionally. It provides a shared interest and connection for the participants, making the relationship building process a bit more organic (i.e. not forced). And volunteer groups also widen your circle of contacts, introducing you to people that you wouldn’t normally meet. People with different backgrounds, careers and educations.

• Informational interview requests—Informational interviews are a great way to learn more about a company and its culture, and evaluate if you would want to work there. I like informational interviews because there isn’t as much pressure for either party. These interviews allow you the time to ask the in-depth questions not answered by the company website, and they allow you to demonstrate your interest and skills without having to make the hard sell. Plus, if you make a good impression, the interviewer may be willing to forward your resume to colleagues in the industry that may have job leads or suggestions.