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Networking is the new overused phrase. I'm sorry but you tell most people, even in the most casual and upbeat way you have been laid off, fired, or just want a new job and you get the stiff smile followed by the eye glaze over and the backing away slowly.
I really, really wonder these day if the I know a guy who knows a guy who has a job you will be great for actually happens for the regular person.
Just a thought. I am not saying people get jobs because of knowing someone hiring but this is not always the ideal situation for many people.
I know a lot of people but unless I want to move where they are, they can't help me find a job in my town.
Not everyone is social or into talking to people. It's easy to advise to be an extrovert but some people ARE not and will not find jobs via other people.
Networking is the new overused phrase. I'm sorry but you tell most people, even in the most casual and upbeat way you have been laid off, fired, or just want a new job and you get the stiff smile followed by the eye glaze over and the backing away slowly.
I really, really wonder these day if the I know a guy who knows a guy who has a job you will be great for actually happens for the regular person.
Just a thought. I am not saying people get jobs because of knowing someone hiring but this is not always the ideal situation for many people.
I know a lot of people but unless I want to move where they are, they can't help me find a job in my town.
Not everyone is social or into talking to people. It's easy to advise to be an extrovert but some people ARE not and will not find jobs via other people.
Most people have no clue what networking really is. Networking is not about using people to find jobs. Networking is about building genuine friendships, combining your personal and professional lives, and about helping other people in their careers. You don't start networking when you lose a job. You network continually, so when you DO need a job, you have a wide net of people you have helped out and have been a friend towards who actually want to help you in return. This is at least how I approach networking, and I get 2-4 job offers every year from friends and contacts without even saying I am interested in changing jobs.
That being said, the typical person on this forum seems to hate the idea of being social or of actually being friends with a potential colleague.
Networking is the new overused phrase. I'm sorry but you tell most people, even in the most casual and upbeat way you have been laid off, fired, or just want a new job and you get the stiff smile followed by the eye glaze over and the backing away slowly.
I really, really wonder these day if the I know a guy who knows a guy who has a job you will be great for actually happens for the regular person.
Just a thought. I am not saying people get jobs because of knowing someone hiring but this is not always the ideal situation for many people.
I know a lot of people but unless I want to move where they are, they can't help me find a job in my town.
Not everyone is social or into talking to people. It's easy to advise to be an extrovert but some people ARE not and will not find jobs via other people.
You don't start a conversation with someone with.."I'm not working" or "I was laid off" because it makes people uncomfortable. You have to disguise your unemployed status and connect it to something that is worth listening to avoid the "stiff smile"
Most people have no clue what networking really is. Networking is not about using people to find jobs. Networking is about building genuine friendships, combining your personal and professional lives, and about helping other people in their careers. You don't start networking when you lose a job. You network continually, so when you DO need a job, you have a wide net of people you have helped out and have been a friend towards who actually want to help you in return. This is at least how I approach networking, and I get 2-4 job offers every year from friends and contacts without even saying I am interested in changing jobs.
That being said, the typical person on this forum seems to hate the idea of being social or of actually being friends with a potential colleague.
I agree. This whole "networking" word has taken on a new meaning in recent years when of course it's been around forever and is nothing new. Just about every job I've ever had has come about because I knew someone or knew someone who knew someone else. That's not to say that because you know someone (in modern parlance someone who's "in my network"!) means that you don't go through the whole application process like everyone else applying, but it very often means that you find something which hasn't yet been advertised and so have your foot in the door for a bit of an edge. What you do with that edge is up to you but an advantage is an advantage.
Your last sentence is particularly telling. I find it very sad that many (before I get jumped on, not all) people who post here seem to have problems with socializing period. Not everyone is a social butterfly but a well-rounded person has at least some sort of a circle of friends and acquaintances who come from all walks of life and who are in all sorts of businesses. They're your "network" and you don't get to know them and like them because they may be able to do something for you in the future (unless you're a sociopath) but you get to know them and form a bond with them because you find something in common with them and you like them. If push comes to shove you help them out as they'll help you out. It's simply nothing new.
I've had some lousy employers and some dreadful employees over many years but I've never been pessimistic about what's ahead. The end result is that I've never collected unemployment in 50 years of working because I've simply got out there and done what has to be done to keep the wolf from the door. The bad spots have always been followed by good stints.
Not everyone is social or into talking to people. It's easy to advise to be an extrovert but some people ARE not and will not find jobs via other people.
That's my problem, I don't have the personality to network.
I just recently applied for a FT position in my field I am fully qualified for, and that would essentially be an extension of what I am currently doing part-time. However, I don't really expect to hear anything back. The way I look at the job search is in anticipation of being rejected. For every single thing I fill out, I assume I won't receive an answer. You'd think this would make my stuff sloppier or something. However, I just use that mentality to shield myself from the inevitably high chance of disappointment. Seriously, unless you're connected up the wazoo, or in a really specialized field, you should prepare to be rejected. I know it seems negative, but it works to help you keep applying consistently. This is the way I have always approached the job search since I was 21. I find it has the adverse effect of making you pretty darn cheery when one of those anticipated rejections actually hits you back. The excitement comes through on the phone too. It's all psychological...at least for me.
That's my problem, I don't have the personality to network.
Then you've automatically set up your own self-defeating barrier. You do have the ability to alter your perspective and use your brain to its capacity (do you have any idea how much of the human brain isn't utilized over a lifetime?) but you have to be willing to make changes. Help is out there for those who want to make changes. It's a bit of hard work which turns a lot of people off but the choice is yours. Making excuses has never worked in any era so get off your duff and toss of the, "poor me" routine.
But having a network won't guarantee you a job, either. Some people simply don't know the right people that can help them.
I'm not anti-networking, I just think that it doesn't work for everyone, especially in this economy.
I didn't say "networking" would guarantee you a job. Re-read and try absorbing information rather than coming back with the "but" routine.
You can sit there and whine until the cows come home about your situation but if you're not open to advice then what are you doing putting up insurmountable barriers? Oh, right, silly me, the negativity encourages the other negative posters to join in so, as a group, you feel happy in numbers.
Doesn't make you right. In reality makes you look pretty daft where the "real world" is concerned. Do some of you wear foil shields on your head to protect you from reality?
I didn't say "networking" would guarantee you a job. Re-read and try absorbing information rather than coming back with the "but" routine.
You can sit there and whine until the cows come home about your situation but if you're not open to advice then what are you doing putting up insurmountable barriers? Oh, right, silly me, the negativity encourages the other negative posters to join in so, as a group, you feel happy in numbers.
Doesn't make you right. In reality makes you look pretty daft where the "real world" is concerned. Do some of you wear foil shields on your head to protect you from reality?
What the hell are you talking about? I earn six figures for a Fortune 100 company.
I'm simply taking the devil's advocate position, because some of us have sympathy for frustrated job seekers.
By the way, your last sentence was completely unnecessary. Belittling people who have different points-of-view tends to erode your credibility.
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which turns a lot of people off but the choice is yours. Making excuses has never worked in any era so get off your duff and toss of the, "poor me" routine.
