This is Part 4 of my five-part course on transitioning in purpose-driven careers. Each post stands alone, so whether you’re following along or just jumping in. Today we are focusing on why networking is a cornerstone of career advancement and job hunting, offering unparalleled opportunities to access the hidden job market, gain industry insights, and build relationships that can propel your professional journey.​

Why Network?

I’m an introvert so networking is not my favorite thing to do, but the statistics don’t lie. It is critical to career success:​

• Access to Opportunities: According to U.S. Department of Labor approximately 70% of jobs are filled through personal and professional connections.
• Faster Job Placement: Leveraging your network can expedite the job search process, potentially reducing the time to secure a position by one to three months according to Indeed. ​
• Career Advancement: A robust professional network can lead to more job offers and open doors to career progression opportunities that might otherwise remain inaccessible. ​

Who in Your Network Can Help?

Your network comprises various connections, each offering unique support:​

• Strong Ties: Close relationships, such as mentors, colleagues, and friends, provide trust, support, and personalized advice.​
• Weak Ties: These are the folks who are a 2^nd degree of separation from you.  If you have 10 close ties then you probably have 100 weak ties!​
• Dormant Ties: Reconnecting with former colleagues or contacts can yield valuable insights and opportunities, as these relationships often combine the trust of strong ties with the novel information of weak ties.

Steps for Effective Networking

1. Clarify Your Objectives: Determine what you seek from networking—for example job leads, industry insights, mentorship, or referrals.​
2. Craft Your Message: Develop a clear narrative about your career goals, skills, and the value you bring, ensuring you can articulate this effectively in conversations.​
3. Gather Market Intelligence: Engage with industry professionals to understand current trends, challenges, and opportunities within your desired field.​
4. Gather marketplace data: Use your network to collect detailed information about companies you’re interested in, including their culture, hiring practices, and growth prospects.​
5. Seek Mentors and Sponsors: Identify individuals who can provide guidance, support, and advocacy as you navigate your career path.​
6. Get advice and ideas: Conversations can help you keep up to date in industry trends or help you expand your way of thinking.
7. Request Referrals: Don’t hesitate to ask your connections to introduce you to others in their network who can assist with your career objectives.​

Informational or Leadership Interviews

The good news for introverts like me is effective networking doesn’t mean attending cocktail hours or networking events where the connections can often be random and low-quality. Instead, I recommend informational interviews. These are short 30-minute conversations which should have the following general agenda:

1. Summarize your message: You will use your positioning statement or your exit statement to start off the conversation.  Keep this brief only 2-3 minutes.
2. Your ask: This will be a series of open-ended questions.  You can get feedback on your job search plan, learn more about the organization, learn about their career path or get their perspective on a challenge or situation. This will take 10 – 15 minutes.
3. Trade information: This is a chance to let your expertise shine.  Look for opportunities to trade information with your contact using your expertise or information you have gathered. Take 3-5 mintes for this.
4. Referrals: Each conversation you have helps you move to more connections. If your contact has not already mentioned additional contacts make sure you ask who else you can talk to. Ideally your contact will offer to connect you, but if they don’t make sure that you get the proper name, title and contact information before you get off the call. This may take about 5 minutes.
5. Closing out the meeting: Make sure that you keep a close eye on the time and wind up the call at the agreed upon time.

You can follow up with a quick thank you and additional resources discussed during the call.

Networking Frequency for Job Seekers

Consistency is key in networking:​

• Recommended Engagement: Aim for 3 networking interactions per week to maintain momentum in your job search. Findings from LHH indicates that this can shorten your job search by months.
• Time Investment: Dedicate approximately 20-30 hours per week to networking activities, including making new contacts and attending meetings.

By integrating these strategies into your career development plan, you can harness the power of networking to unlock new opportunities and achieve your professional goals.

If you want to learn more tips about successful networking and start building our your plan, join my live session on April 1, 2025 register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QT4YV4eRSHivwmzcRmM-BA

You can watch the shost video summary here: https://youtu.be/ic-e4h2CzZo

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