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Jobs RX - Career Article

New, old networks all produce job-search results

By Nora Caley
Networking still is the best way to find a job. With both in-person and online opportunities today, networking can be easier than ever. According to ExecuNet’s 2008 Executive Job Market Intelligence Report, 70 percent of executives found their latest job by networking. "Networking gets more important as you move up in your career," said Dave Opton, CEO and founder of the Norwalk, Conn., executive search firm.
Friends build careers

Today, networking is more than attending events and handing out your card. "Effective networking is not a business card scavenger hunt," he said. "It’s about building relationships. It’s about building trust." New professional organizations, charity events and even Web sites make networking easier to do. That’s especially important now, as more people find themselves out of work and have to connect to new job possibilities through others. And, with some employers receiving hundreds of applications for one job, who you know, what you know about the job and the company, and how fast you make contact are critical. Opton’s advice is, even if you are out of a job, join an industry professional organization. Go to the meetings and serve on a committee.


Volunteering works

Volunteering with a nonprofit organization is another way to make contacts and to be first in line for a job opening. That’s how Paula Henry found her job as corporate relations manager for Metro Volunteers in Denver. She had been laid off from a job in the for-profit sector, so she signed up to do volunteer work to fill some free time.
"Volunteering was a great way to stay connected and get out," she said. She also attended the Colorado Nonprofit Association luncheon. She signed up for other events, and always made sure to chat with attendees.
"The person next to me would always ask, ’What do you do?,’ and I would say, ’I’m in transition,’ " Henry said. "I was astounded by people who made time to help me. They would say, ‘Here is a place you want to look.’ " A program suited to business people is Metro Volunteers’ Impact Program. Participants volunteer only for one or two hours. It’s a great way for professionals to network on weekends or an evening, Henry said.


Electronic connections

Nancy Franz, who founded Transitions Career Coaching in Wheat Ridge, said a lot of networking has moved online. There are free sites such as LinkedIn.com, where people can create a profile, then connect with people they already know, who might be able to introduce them to others. It also is possible to look up old friends and colleagues on social sites.
"It might be a way of setting up an informational interview," Franz said. "If you want more information about a particular career, sometimes it will happen completely electronically." Her advice: Try not to be discouraged if you aren’t connecting with the employer you hope to meet online. "Continue to have a conversation with all the people you can think of who want to talk about what you want to talk about. Each person can link you someplace else." Opton recommends both online networking and in-person meetings. "A lot of people fall into the trap of staying in the house and firing this stuff all over the universe and saying, ’I’ve got 500 contacts,’ " he said. "There is never a substitute for face-to-face networking."


Hired? Keep talking

Create bonds by following up on a first communication with a phone call or e-mail. "It’s about doing what you say and building trust," he said.
Also, don’t stop networking when you do find a job. Stay in touch, continue to attend professional organization events and volunteer. Try to contribute something to the conversation, other than simply saying what you need or want. "Have the mind-set of being interested in the other person, without having your own agenda running through," Franz said. "It actually can be a very enjoyable dynamic process."

Nora Caley is a Denver business writer.

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