Building Maintaining Your Network for Job Searches - CareerAlley

Building Maintaining Your Network for Job Searches - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often. Mark Twain The way to find a job is changing and it is becoming more and more important to have a solid network to help you land a job. You are more likely to get an interview if you have a recommendation or an in at the company. With networking is becoming even more important, you will need to make building and maintaining your network a priority. You can expand your network through your friends and your parents, but you also need to make sure that you are worth the recommendations that you are asking for. Recommendations will not get you the job on their own, your experience, professional interviews and stellar job history are necessary as well. Building Your Network Take the time to make a list of your friends, family current/former coworkers for your network list. If you want to build your network, you also need to make an effort to meet at least one new person at each event that you attend from classes in school, to a business meeting or a job conference. The bigger the event the more you should try to meet. As you build your network, you need to make real connections, not just exchange business cards. It is easier to offer a reference or make a recommendation if you can speak about some of the skills of the person in question. When someone makes a recommendation for you, they are putting their[easyazon_link asin=1118338596 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]reputation[/easyazon_link] on the line as well. You can build a better relationship with an acquaintance through social media and future interactions. More on Networking Utilizing all Social Networking Outlets for Your Job Search Maintaining Your Network As you build your network, you need to work on maintain the contacts you have made. You can do this by keeping in touch with an email every now and then or by making sure you stop by the business or greet them at each conference you attend together. Alumni associations and activities make it easier to maintain the contacts you cultivated while you were in college and professional organizations offer the same benefits to you. Make sure you stay active in these types of organizations. You should also make sure that you keep a positive and professional outlook when you are dealing with anyone. Your negative attitude may cause your relationships to become weaker over time. Even after you have landed a great job, you should work on keeping your contacts active since you may need them when you are looking for a job in the future. It also gives you the opportunity to return the favor in the future. Utilizing Your Network Finally you need to utilize your network in a way that allows people to make recommendations without putting too much pressure on them if they are uncomfortable in doing so. Make sure your LinkedIn account is active and updated. Add your contacts to your Google+ and Facebook accounts. Spread the word that you are looking for a job or that you are interested in applying to a specific company. The people you have networked with can recommend you to their human resources department or let you know about jobs they hear about before they are posted. This will give you a chance to prepare for the interviews. Finally be sure that you return the favor for the people in your network. Make recommendations when you can and let people know about available positions that may be a good match. About the Author: Charissa Newark is the resident blogger and the editor for AccountingDegree.net. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a B.S. in English in 2005 and unable to find a 9-5, Charissa began freelance writing and doing research for various websites. A few of the current topics she is researching includes accounting online degree and bachelors degree in accounting. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by