Strategically Networking: Key Strategies and Insights for Job Seekers

If you’re reading this, networking might not come easily to you. Rest assured, you’re not alone! Regardless of whether you’re a social butterfly or a wallflower, approaching networking strategically is crucial for achieving effective results.

If you find networking disingenuous, pushy, annoying, or self-serving, I hope to change your perspective. Effective networking is a critical component of your job search strategy when pursuing your dream job.

Why do I need to network? Can’t I just apply online?

While it’s still possible to find a job without networking, it’s becoming increasingly difficult due to several trends changing how companies find talent that job seekers should be aware of. According to this study by LinkedIn influencer Lou Adler and this report by Jobvite, over 80% of jobs are found and primarily filled through the hidden job market , which includes friends and professional networks. Although the 80% statistic is often promoted, it is likely not that high, as debunked here . However, even if the percentage is not as high as 80%, there are plenty of trends highlighting the growing importance of networking. Here’s why:

Job postings are inundated with candidates, leading hiring managers, overwhelmed by the quantity of candidates, to use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen candidates. This makes it increasingly challenging for your resume to be seen by a human eye. While it does help to have an optimized resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), it’s only one piece of the puzzle. If you are lucky to have your resume reviewed by a hiring manager, it typically only has seven seconds ?to make an impression.

Unfortunately, your resume may never get those seven seconds because most jobs are filled before they’re advertised. Companies, especially highly competitive companies like Google, hire less than 1% of their online job applicants, according to research by Dr. John Sullivan, a professor of Management at San Francisco State. CNBC reports that 70% of jobs are never publicly advertised. In 2022, 54% of hires originated from employee referrals , a trend likely to continue since 82% of companies having an employee referral program in place.

Simply put, the best way to hear about the best jobs and catch the attention of hiring managers is through personal relationships. People prefer doing business with those they know and trust, often prioritizing these connections over having all the necessary qualifications.

What is Networking?

Networking is a mindset. As social beings, we are naturally wired to connect and help others. Networking involves using our innate social tendencies strategically to see more opportunities by being open, curious, and generous, with the intention of helping others as well as ourselves.

Many people dislike networking because they misunderstand what it involves. It’s not about attending events to distribute as many business cards as possible; it’s about having genuine conversations and connections and building mutually beneficial relationships.

What You Must Know Before You Start Networking

Before you reach out to your network, it’s essential to know specifically what you want. Your goals might evolve as you engage with others and learn more about your interests, however, you must be clear from the start. Close friends, family, or a coach can help you define your objectives. Conducting exploratory interviews will also be beneficial.

Being vague with your request or goal when talking to someone in your network can diminish the potential benefits of that connection. They can’t determine your desires for you, so you need to articulate your needs clearly, in specific terms:

• Know what type of job you want. What are the job titles? Write your dream job description to clarify.
• Identify the companies you want to work for. Even if they don’t have a job opening, knowing the type of company culture that fits you best is important.
• Assess your skills and experience. What, if anything, is lacking? What do you need to learn to be more valuable?
• Recognize your assets and strengths. What do you offer to the world?
• Ensure the desired job aligns with your values and lifestyle.

Mental Preparation for Networking

Networking requires courage, resilience, patience, stamina, self-care, determination, positivity, and a strong work ethic. If you lack in any of these areas, seek resources or support from your key supporters to enhance your capabilities. Almost everyone knows what it’s like to look for a job; they’ll empathize with your situation.

Networking is not a sprint; it’s more of an endurance sport. Try to slow down, be present, and enjoy the process, which can actually speed up your success in the job search race. Remember, helping others feels good, and most people are eager to assist you, especially when you ask for advice, as it allows them to share their expertise.

Strong Ties: Identifying Your Network

Your network is bigger than you think. It includes family, friends, co-workers (although avoid current ones if you’re doing a stealth job search), LinkedIn connections, Facebook friends, professional associations, parents of your child’s friends, workout buddies, church members, alumni groups, neighbors, book clubs, and any other group with whom you may spend time. Don’t forget about your spouse, family, or close friends’ networks as well.

Collect all these names and information into a spreadsheet. Use the spreadsheet to track details such as who connected you, the last date you reached out, the next date to follow-up, what connection the person has, which industry, and anything else that will be helpful to know and remember. Categorize your network by type of connection (strong or weak) and identify the individuals who have direct connections to the companies or industries where you want to work. These are your strong ties.

Importance of Weak Ties

In networking, it is also important to understand the strength of your weak ties . Defined by researcher Mark Granovetter and explained by Eileen Brown, CEO of SocialMedia Today:

• Strong tie: Someone who you know well. You interact with them on social networking sites, and there is a two-way conversation. Even if you don’t know everything about them, you know them pretty well, and information flows freely. The strong tie typically follows the same news streams.
• Weak tie: Someone with whom you have a more tenuous relationship. You may talk to them once a year, or just send a holiday card promising to be in touch more often. If you reach out, they are surprised to hear from you. You have different interests, and you don’t interact much.

Weak ties are critical in binding groups of strong ties together. They bring circles of networks into contact with each other, strengthening relationships and forming new bonds between existing relationship circles. These “weak tie” friends might have information that is mutually beneficial to one other, but more importantly, these ties encourage sharing of information across different groups.

Maintaining weak ties and adding new ones is crucial for your networking success. New ties invigorate your network by providing connections to new networks, viewpoints, and opportunities.

Strategic Contact

Effective networking is a give-and-take process. It involves sharing information, asking questions, and cultivating a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s not about handing out your business cards or having meaningless small talk with a stranger. Before approaching someone, know your “ask” and your “give”:

• Possible Asks: Specific information, an introduction, leads, company culture insight, exploratory interview, or a reference.
• Possible Gives: Help solving a problem or challenge (you’ll need to do some research or ask during the conversation), information, support, connection with someone in your network, an article of interest, or something meaningful to the person.

During the Connection

• Be your authentic self. Hiding your true self will only hurt you in the long run.
• Be considerate. Take time to really catch up with an old connection and be mindful of not taking too much time with a really busy person (especially someone you don’t know well).
• Be specific. When you ask for advice or information, be clear, but don’t ask for a job directly. You want to build trust and allies, not put the person in an uncomfortable position (besides that’ll quickly end many relationships if done without them offering).
• Make an offer. Ask your connection how you can help them and make an offer of a “give”.
• Ask for recommendations. Ask your connection if they can recommend anyone else you should talk.

After the connection, always send a thank-you note. Check in periodically to see how they’re doing and keep them informed of your progress. Nurture the relationship through your job search and beyond, and you’ll soon establish a strong network of people you can count on for ideas, advice, feedback, and support.

Strategically Expand Your Network

When you identify a gap in your network, engage your strong ties, aka the people in your inner circle, to help fill it. Let them know what you’re looking for and ask for help and information.

Join groups that are representative of the gap in your network. Add people to your network who reflect issues, jobs, industries, and areas of interest. Join professional associations related to your desired career path. Attend conferences (in person is better than virtual for networking), read articles, and stay current with the lingo of your desired field.

Don’t just accept anyone into your network, as this could be a drain on your time and energy. There is a delicate balance between staying open to new connections with being selective about where you invest your time.

LinkedIn: Networking and Engagement

In today’s digital era, LinkedIn stands as a pivotal platform for professional networking, with over 1 billion members in 2024.?When job searching it’s critical to be actively engaged on LinkedIn in an authentic way to get noticed.

• Engage with Content: Regularly engage with your connections’ posts through likes, comments, and shares. Thoughtful comments can spark conversations and help you get noticed.
• Join LinkedIn Groups: Groups are a great way to meet new professionals in your field or with shared interests. Participate actively by posting questions, sharing insights, and contributing to discussions.
• Networking within Groups: Don’t hesitate to reach out to members who share interesting posts or comments. A simple message can lead to a meaningful exchange. Example: “Hi [Name], I really appreciated your take on [Discussion Topic] in [Group Name]. I’ve been exploring similar ideas and would love to exchange thoughts.”
• Publish Content to Showcase Expertise: Creating and sharing content can significantly boost your visibility and establish your expertise. Post about your professional experiences, industry insights, or lessons learned. This keeps your network engaged and informed about your expertise.
• Write Articles: Use LinkedIn’s publishing platform to write detailed articles. This can attract a wider audience and establish you as a thought leader in your field. Share case studies, how-to guides, industry analysis, or personal career stories.

LinkedIn: Attracting Recruiters

According to “Linked ” by Omar Garriott and Jeremy Schifeling, 97% of recruiters are on LinkedIn to find job candidates, and 64% only use LinkedIn for recruiting. So, it’s to your advantage to do what you can to be found by a recruiter. First and foremost, your profile must be optimized . Since recruiters only have so much time and available Inmail messages to use each month, they will try to filter potential candidates based on how likely the candidate is to accept and be a good fit for the role. Here are a few tips to attracting recruiters (by not getting filtered out of a search):

• Indicated you’re “Open to Work” because recruiters don’t want to waste time with someone who has no plan of leaving their current role.
• If you want to relocate, then your location should be where you want to live and not where you currently live, so you show up when a location filter is used. While this may mean you’ll need to pay for the flight to interview, that’s a good problem to have.
• Make connections with employees at your ideal companies by following the company and engaging with its employees.
• Connect with everyone you know, even if you don’t talk to this person regularly. If that person starts to work at an ideal company, not only will you likely show up in the recruiter’s search but you’re well on your way to getting an employee referral. This can easily be done by importing your address book under My Network on LinkedIn.

Following Up and Maintaining Connections

Maintaining your network is the most crucial, yet often overlooked, part of professional growth. It’s not just about making initial contacts but about continuously nurturing those connections over time, even when you’re gainfully employed. You might initially reach out when in need of a job, but maintaining your network shouldn’t stop there. Regularly scheduled check-ins, whether weekly or monthly, should be a fixture in your calendar. This ongoing process ensures that you’re not only supporting others’ careers but also positioning yourself where opportunities come to you, reducing the need to actively seek out new job opportunities. Remember, effective networking can propel your career forward by keeping your connections alive and vibrant, allowing you to benefit from the hidden job market. Here’s why and how you can keep those connections alive and vibrant.

Why Consistent Networking Is Key to Career Advancement

1. Access to the Hidden Job Market: As discussed earlier, many job opportunities are never advertised and are filled through word-of-mouth or internal referrals. Regular networking keeps you connected to these opportunities. Your contacts are more likely to consider you for potential roles if you are top of mind.
2. Career Support and Guidance: A well-maintained network can provide invaluable advice, mentorship, and support. It allows you to have a pool of professionals to bounce ideas off, seek guidance from, and even find mentorship opportunities.
3. Mutual Benefits: Networking is a two-way street. By staying connected, you not only receive support but also provide it. Being a resource for others can reinforce your relationships and establish you as a valued member of your professional community.

How to Stay Connected

Maintaining connections doesn’t need to consume much time but should be a consistent part of your schedule. Here are some strategies to keep in touch, even when it seems like there’s nothing new to discuss:

• Send an Article or Resource: Sharing an article, video, or resource that you think would be of interest to your connection is a thoughtful way to say, “I thought of you.” Example: “Hi [Name], I came across this article on [Topic] and immediately thought of our last conversation. Hope you find it insightful!”
• Write a Note: In a digital world, a handwritten note can make a big impression. If you have their address, send a notecard with a simple message. Example: “Just wanted to say how much I appreciate our connection. Looking forward to our next catch-up!”
• Casual Coffee or Virtual Meetups: A quick coffee catch-up or a virtual chat can be a great way to stay connected without the need for a specific agenda. Example: “Hey [Name], it’s been a while since we last caught up. Would love to hear about what you’ve been up to lately. How about coffee next week?”
• Celebrate Wins Together: Sharing a recent success or celebration invites your network to be part of your professional journey. Example: “Hi [Name], I just wanted to share some exciting news—I’ve been promoted to [New Position]! I’d love to celebrate this milestone with you and catch up soon.”
• Regular Updates: Even a brief update about what’s new with you can keep the communication lines open. Example: “Hey [Name], just a quick update from my end—I recently started a new project on [Topic]. Would love to get your insights over a quick call or coffee.”

Remember, effective networking is about building and sustaining relationships over time. It’s not just about reaching out when you need something but about being a consistent presence in each other’s professional lives. By dedicating regular time to connect, share, and celebrate with your network, you ensure you are remembered positively and can benefit from the hidden job market and the opportunities that come from strong professional relationships.

Don’t Forget Your Self-Care

A job search can be a challenging and draining process if you let it. Finding a work situation that fits your values, offers meaningful work, provides the necessary compensation and benefits, offers growth and learning, and anything else that you determine important, requires thoughtful consideration.

So, pace yourself. Take note of your energy, mindset, and overall health. Remember, you don’t need to look for a job alone and should ask for help. This is why networking is a critical piece of the job search puzzle: finding the perfect job is very difficult without the right support.

If you need guidance on effectively conducting a modern job search, I’m here for you .