Why networking is KEY to your job search

I know I sound like a broken record but networking is absolutely key to your job search. Give me a job is NOT the right way. I’m going to tell you a little client story about when it does work.

The majority of my clients who are hired quickly are hired because they implemented a networking strategy, which is key to your job search. I started working with this particular client (we’ll call her Mary) a long time ago.

As her career professional throughout her career, I worked with her from her first positions when she was still in school getting her architectural and residential associates degree in 1997. Mary later went back for her Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Administration.

Why you need periodic professional resume updates

Periodically, Mary returned as a client for updates to her resume. She strongly believed that the professionally written resume from Design Resumes was key to her success in landing new positions.

We rewrote her resume in December and talked about the life changes she was going through.

As a mom, Mary was balancing raising her children with a full time job in a very male-dominated field as a Civil Engineer Technician. We analyzed her accomplishments and redesigned, reformatted, and substantially updated her resume. Take a peak at some of her accomplishments:

• Assigned to the I-52 N/S Corridor, a three-county project valued at $1.9 billion to assist Civil Engineers with design and played a key role in locating utilities to alleviate any potential damage caused by highway changes.
• Designed plans for ALA 52, County NN to ALA 59. Length of project: Six miles (four miles expansion/reconstruction with additional lanes and two miles reconstruction) with a cost of $19.7 million. Type of work: Construction/reconstruction with additional lane, including three roundabouts.

Strategic networking is key to your job search

Mary started looking for new positions with her new professional resume and found one at an engineering firm for a Civil Engineering Technician-Senior or Level III. I’ll let her tell the story:

I think I was pretty lucky to get this job, they were not hiring, but I knew someone that worked there and he was pretty high up. I worked with him at the Dept. of Transportation so he did know me…that helps a lot.

Plus, I had a great resume…very professional looking and it got my foot in the door:)

My salary is way more than expected…did some research and knew what I was worth, wouldn’t settle for less.

I love networking!! It is crucial now-a-days, more so than ever before. My dad always had a saying and I am sure you have heard it before “It is not what you know, it is who you know.” Both will get you a job though:)

There you have it! Networking success AND a higher salary!

The keys to effective networking in your job search

1. Note that the company was not hiring but Mary knew someone who worked there.
2. She had a previous relationship with the person.
3. She contacted him and he helped her.

You need to nurture those relationships. If you just worked with someone without growing a relationship and came back years later and said, I need a job, you are likely to experience rejection.

Key to networking is continually nurturing relationships.

You give, they give, you give, they give. At some point when you really need to come to them for help, they are only too happy to help you. I asked Mary if I could share her story with you and she said she was only too happy to help me.

and the networking goes on.