Jobseekers Networking Online. A Huge Waste of Time?
by Teena Rose Friday, May 22, 2009
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Teena Rose is a columnist, public speaker, and certified/published resume writer with Resume to Referral. She's authored several books, including "How to Design, Write, and Compile a Quality Brag Book," "20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer," and "Cracking the Code to Pharmaceutical Sales.
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How many times have you heard the expression, “it's not what you know, it's who you know”? You might think this statement is poppycosh, somehow devaluing what we know against who we know. Online networks are growing in numbers, no one can argue that fact, providing substance to the “what versus who” claim.
So if online networking is so great, what results are we seeing? None really, or maybe the better political response is it’s too early to tell. What’s driving online networking, despite results? Sure, some jobseekers report success, while others consider online networking and social media a huge debacle, mirroring the broken-promises of the California Gold Rush from the 1880’s of sorts. Stories about job-searching with social networking are beginning to surface, some pulling job offers (gold nuggets) while others are spending ample time networking with little job-search assistance in return (gold dust). Sadly, many who flock to online networking sites will walk away empty handed.
The lack of hardcore results hasn’t stopped jobseekers from swarming to such online networking tools, however.
Online and offline networking in its most basic form is nothing more than the art and science of relationship building and relationship leveraging. This is nothing new – even the ancient Romans knew that manus manum lavat (“one hand washes the other”). The new “part” is how we go about building and leveraging these relationships … and with the added layer of online networking, relations are built without individuals physically setting eyes on each other.
When it comes to jobs and careers, in the vast majority of cases, it's about networking and developing relationships too. This is important because employment opportunities are being uncovered in some unlikely places; Craigslist, for example (who knew!).
No matter how hard we try, we can’t be in all places so a network (online or offline) can be a highly valuable tool.
Jobseekers that once flocked to online job banks are now seeing themselves job-searching within a who’s-who line of online networks, attempting to uncover ideal jobs below the proverbial tip of the online iceberg.
Surveys over the years have reported the majority of job openings – some say as many as 75% – are not publicly announced. Is this still a fairly true statistic when considering the monster growth and exposure the Internet has provided to those on both sides of the hiring fence? Regardless of what you believe, let’s entertain that number for the moment.
How do you get to those unadvertised jobs? How to learn about them to begin with? Online networking is certainly the place to start.
One cannot do enough social or business networking – and of those who successfully uncover and subsequently land a job report either online or offline networking played some role.
Jenny (name changed per her request) contributes a recent interview in part due to FaceBook. “I feel a layoff is lingering-the signs are there. Sharing my feelings with friends online, I received responses like ‘contact so-and-so, I think they’re hiring.’ One of the suggestions actually jogged my memory to a conversation I’d had with a co-worker. A competitor recently won a contract away from my current employer. I placed a call to them and secured an interview.”
For today’s jobseekers, the answer to reaching unadvertised jobs comes in part from the use of online networking tools. Can it be argued that the Internet is changing the noted six degrees of separation to a mere four degrees? Some believe so.
The fact is you already have a network, whether you know it or not. For example, the most obvious members of your network include past and present co-workers and supervisors as well as people who share your interests (such as members of a business or trade organization). Don’t forget family members, friends, and acquaintances. Many of those you meet and see daily, weekly, yearly, or maybe every 10 years, are within your immediate and extended network.
Online networking tools include those used for social and business genres. Services such as FaceBook and MySpace can be utilized for business but typically used more on a personal level. LinkedIn on the other hand is almost exclusively for professional purposes, allowing jobseeker to find and apply for jobs, while hiring companies can search and examine the profiles of ideal new employees.
Don’t be afraid to “reach out and touch someone.” Networks and relationships are like flowering plants. Even if it's just an occasional e-mail (to those in your network, not to the plants) to say “Hi,” it is important to maintain consistent communications. In addition, networking works much like Christmas; it is important to give more than to receive. Should you come across important or helpful information, be ready to pass this along to someone in your network … a person either near (close friend/family member) or far (distant acquaintance).
Just because online networking is seeing significant growth, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should simply do all your networking online. Network locally too, if you wish.
Copyright 2009, Teena Rose, ResumeToReferral.com, All Rights Reserved
Written by Teena Rose, a Professional Resume Writer with Resume to Referral.
So if online networking is so great, what results are we seeing? None really, or maybe the better political response is it’s too early to tell. What’s driving online networking, despite results? Sure, some jobseekers report success, while others consider online networking and social media a huge debacle, mirroring the broken-promises of the California Gold Rush from the 1880’s of sorts. Stories about job-searching with social networking are beginning to surface, some pulling job offers (gold nuggets) while others are spending ample time networking with little job-search assistance in return (gold dust). Sadly, many who flock to online networking sites will walk away empty handed.
The lack of hardcore results hasn’t stopped jobseekers from swarming to such online networking tools, however.
Online and offline networking in its most basic form is nothing more than the art and science of relationship building and relationship leveraging. This is nothing new – even the ancient Romans knew that manus manum lavat (“one hand washes the other”). The new “part” is how we go about building and leveraging these relationships … and with the added layer of online networking, relations are built without individuals physically setting eyes on each other.
When it comes to jobs and careers, in the vast majority of cases, it's about networking and developing relationships too. This is important because employment opportunities are being uncovered in some unlikely places; Craigslist, for example (who knew!).
No matter how hard we try, we can’t be in all places so a network (online or offline) can be a highly valuable tool.
Jobseekers that once flocked to online job banks are now seeing themselves job-searching within a who’s-who line of online networks, attempting to uncover ideal jobs below the proverbial tip of the online iceberg.
Surveys over the years have reported the majority of job openings – some say as many as 75% – are not publicly announced. Is this still a fairly true statistic when considering the monster growth and exposure the Internet has provided to those on both sides of the hiring fence? Regardless of what you believe, let’s entertain that number for the moment.
How do you get to those unadvertised jobs? How to learn about them to begin with? Online networking is certainly the place to start.
One cannot do enough social or business networking – and of those who successfully uncover and subsequently land a job report either online or offline networking played some role.
Jenny (name changed per her request) contributes a recent interview in part due to FaceBook. “I feel a layoff is lingering-the signs are there. Sharing my feelings with friends online, I received responses like ‘contact so-and-so, I think they’re hiring.’ One of the suggestions actually jogged my memory to a conversation I’d had with a co-worker. A competitor recently won a contract away from my current employer. I placed a call to them and secured an interview.”
For today’s jobseekers, the answer to reaching unadvertised jobs comes in part from the use of online networking tools. Can it be argued that the Internet is changing the noted six degrees of separation to a mere four degrees? Some believe so.
The fact is you already have a network, whether you know it or not. For example, the most obvious members of your network include past and present co-workers and supervisors as well as people who share your interests (such as members of a business or trade organization). Don’t forget family members, friends, and acquaintances. Many of those you meet and see daily, weekly, yearly, or maybe every 10 years, are within your immediate and extended network.
Online networking tools include those used for social and business genres. Services such as FaceBook and MySpace can be utilized for business but typically used more on a personal level. LinkedIn on the other hand is almost exclusively for professional purposes, allowing jobseeker to find and apply for jobs, while hiring companies can search and examine the profiles of ideal new employees.
Don’t be afraid to “reach out and touch someone.” Networks and relationships are like flowering plants. Even if it's just an occasional e-mail (to those in your network, not to the plants) to say “Hi,” it is important to maintain consistent communications. In addition, networking works much like Christmas; it is important to give more than to receive. Should you come across important or helpful information, be ready to pass this along to someone in your network … a person either near (close friend/family member) or far (distant acquaintance).
Just because online networking is seeing significant growth, doesn’t necessarily mean that you should simply do all your networking online. Network locally too, if you wish.
Copyright 2009, Teena Rose, ResumeToReferral.com, All Rights Reserved
Written by Teena Rose, a Professional Resume Writer with Resume to Referral.