Top 10 Strategies for Networking to Gain Employment

Having been in the business of helping people find jobs for a number of years and frankly, been a job hunter myself - here are our Top 10 Strategies for Networking to Gain Employment.

10.	Talk to people at your church and find encouragement through prayer.
9.	Send birthday cards to your friends, family and business associates – not emails – real cards in the mail with a stamp. It is important to stay in touch all the time, not just when you might be job hunting.
8.	Visit with your Doctor, Dentist, Hairdresser or Professional Service Provider. Several years ago while my husband was getting examined in the emergency room, the nurse found out that I was in HR and proceeded to tell me all about her husband’s qualifications as a great mechanic. We exchanged information and ultimately forwarded the husband’s resume to a large firm that was hiring mechanics.
7.	Visit with other parents while attending your child’s (or other family members) sporting or school events. You can develop a tremendous referral network with like-minded parents.
6.	Participate in social networking sites. Be careful to keep your entries and contacts professional.
5.	Attend professional and industry association events. Try to meet several new people at each event and follow-up with them within a couple of days.
4.	Consider getting a hobby that encourages team participation (e.g. golf, playing cards, scrabble club, etc).
3.	Contact previous employers or former customers. If you left on less than good terms . . . see Numbers 10 and 9 above and try again in a year.
2.	Volunteer – it’s good for the soul and the economy.
1.	Attend business events where you have no real purpose for being there. In the HR industry, we often attend construction pre-bid meetings simply because we are meeting people generally outside our area of expertise. We are not seen as competitors and generally walk away with new contacts.

For more on connecting – creating meaningful, dynamic and resourceful relationships I highly encourage you to read the book Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi – it will change your life.