Every time I write a post about networking, I get yelled at. People jump all over me to say either it’s not important, or it shouldn’t be important. So, I’ll just say that if you believe networking’s not important to finding a job, you’re wrong. If you say it shouldn’t be important, well, that doesn’t matter. It is important, like it or not, and these five stories explain why.
- Eating Lunch Has WHAT to do with Job Hunting?
- The Secret to Networking
- Three Critical Actions You MUST Take to Build Your Network
- Networking: Like It Or Not, It Makes All The Difference
- Making Introductions Can Pay Off
Comments? Go ahead and post them below.
I would like to take this opportunity to TYPE IN ALL CAPS.
Seriously, I think networking is pretty important in finding a job or even freelance projects.
I believe it has been shown, statistically, that most/the majority of (good) jobs are obtained through a network. I am puzzled how anyone can argue that networking is not important.
Ther is lies and then there is statisics. Networking sounds like cronyism to me, and works primarily for white people who have large numbers of plugin people.
WHy you’d call networking “cronyism” is beyond me, but if you want to be cynical, hey, who am I to argue? I mean, if someone I met at a trade show is qualified for an open job at Dice, I’m not supposed to tell him about it? Or vice versa? Networking’s only about meeting people who can help you during the course of your career — sometimes in finding a job, sometimes in helping do your current job.
And works primarily for white people? Diversity groups in all kinds of businesses have been encouraging people for years to network because it expands their base of contacts and increases their visibility.
If you don’t want to network, of course you don’t have to. But if you’re looking for a job and don’t have a lot of people to talk to about it, you’re fighting with one hand behind your back at best.
Are you serious? Wow, and I thought I sometimes sound a gloomy-guss.
I am familiar with the 3 types of lies; lies, damned lies, statistics. Still, “networking” is hardly a white-folks-only club. It’s only “cronyism” if the person offered the job is not qualified, otherwise it’s business.