Land the Ideal Job Using Social Networks
With at least 60% of job-seekers finding employment through networking, it’s no wonder that people are turning to their colleagues and acquaintances for advice and help in finding employment. The old adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know" rings true when it comes to sources of labor in today’s economy.
The Traditionalists
In the recent past (and even today for some unbending traditionalists), if you were unemployed you would focus on perfecting your resume, scour through the classifieds, or spend $5K getting help from an employment firm only to end up with outdated job leads and generic career advice but still no job.
While these tactics are still important (other than paying $5K to anyone!) to employ as part of an overall job hunt, it seems like a lot of work and energy (never mind monetary resources we don’t have) when you consider the 60% of people who are finding jobs via referrals and relationships they’ve built.
Dinosaurs can Change
But even old Traditionalists can learn new tricks. Take my close colleague, J.V., for example an experienced traditionalist and professional in the insurance agency who is just now ‘succumbing’ to e-mail technology and implementing it in his daily interactions with customers. Some people are slow to adopt new technology. J.V. is slower. So when I told him I was launching ViralCommerce.com (a social networking tool for professionals) and explained it helps people to create new contacts and build their social network via their existing contacts, I fully expected him to turn and run. Instead, he replied (via e-mail) "Give me a demo sometime. You never know. Dinosaurs can change."
And he’s right. People change… but only when the old way isn’t working anymore. After all, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. No one wants to be insane.
Enter the Social Network
Social networks provide a fresh avenue for professionals to make new contacts without the time expenditure incurred attending mixers or scheduling lunches. Based upon the six degrees of separation theory, whereby you and anyone you could want to meet are separated by a maximum of six people/connections, social networks have become an extremely helpful resource tool for job hunters and employers alike.
Unlike sites built on classified ads, a social network like ViralCommerce.com promote traditional networking, building relationships by e-mail and interviews. Instead of hunting for a specific job, members of the network look to reach out and expand their network in turn expanding their job opportunities. Often, building connections with other members results in accessing top jobs that aren’t published in classifieds or traditional job postings.
The concept behind using social networks to find a job is easy: The more connections you make within the network, the more friends-of-a-friend you can meet, and the better your chances of finding an employer or key contact who can make an introduction resulting in employment for you.
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