Applying online is like playing the lottery
Networking offers much better odds to finding work
Think this over. When you apply to a job posting, you are hoping, with your fingers crossed, you will be the one person selected to be hired out of the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of other candidates who also applied and are just as qualified, if not more, as you are.
It is no secret there are a lot of talented, hungry job seekers going after the same jobs.
Applying to an online job posting is equivalent to playing the lottery — you are expecting a stranger to hire you.
Without a doubt, networking is an essential component of a successful job search. Yet, people often avoid it, especially when they believe they are an introvert.
It is well-known that there is a hidden job market. Most jobs, especially highly desired ones, are not advertised. Since it is no secret that networkers have a better job search success rate than those who do not network, I will be straightforward. The failure to network throughout your job search and career indicates either indifference to the benefits of networking or indifference to your job search and career.
I know many highly functioning extroverted introverts. Therefore, I believe it is possible to be both introverted and extroverted. Those who are outgoing will always have
a competitive advantage over those who sit behind their laptops, hoping a stranger will hire them.
Two life truisms:
1. The world is made by extroverts for extroverts.
2. The most connected people are often the most successful.
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell writes, "The more acquaintances you have, the more powerful you are."
In contrast to your close friends and colleagues, your acquaintances — people you know and, more importantly, who know you — exist in an entirely different social universe. Consequently, they can introduce you to the right person that no one in your inner circle can.
HIVAN ARVIZU @SOYHIVAN PHOTO • UNSPLASH
Eighty-three per cent of people who find their job through their network and networking activities did so through people they occasionally see. Those Facebook friends you have not talked to for a while might be worth checking on.
You have undoubtedly heard it a million times: successful job searching and career advancement are much more about who you know than what you know. Today, with social media, I would say, "Who knows you is more important than who you know." This is why those with a career you envy focus on their personal brand (a.k.a., reputation) being magnetic; hence, their attraction (read: people reaching out to them) creates networking opportunities.
Mastering networking/ self-promotion skills requires more than just schmoozing over cheese platters and exchanging business cards. (Does anyone have business cards these days?) There is an art to networking.
You need to think of creative ways to stand out on all platforms available to you to network, especially on social media platforms.
FOLLOW UP
The time you invested in speaking with someone new will only be beneficial if you follow up. Connect with them on LinkedIn with a message expressing how much you enjoyed meeting them and how you would like to remain in touch.
In addition to landing plum
jobs, networking can also help advance your career, gain new clients and provide access to people who can help you.
Refrain from approaching networking with the mindset that you are doing it for your own gain, which is why networking feels uncomfortable for many people. Embrace that successful networking depends on give and take. Remember, "How can I help this person?"
Networking relationships are all about adding value. The more you give to your network connections, the more they will give back to you.