You have had your resume looked at by a professional. You are online looking at job postings and sending several resumes out every week, maybe even every day! If this describes you, the most important part of the job search is missing in your regular routine, and that is NETWORKING! Some of you may hear the word networking, or networking event, and run screaming in the other direction. Networking may seem like a scary thing to some. To others, you may not see the value in it. Research tells us that between 60-80% of jobs are found through personal relationships,” says John Bennett, director of the Master of Science at the McColl School of Business. Even more surprising, it is estimated that about 70% – 80% of jobs are never even posted outside of the company, according to Matt Youngquist, the president of Career Horizons. Most people are still hunting for jobs by looking for openings posted online via networks like careerbuilder.com and indeed.com, yet research is showing that a large majority of companies are hiring trusted friends and acquaintances. So there is REAL VALUE in networking!!
If you have been avoiding networking due to the fear or dread of marketing yourself, or you are merely looking to gather some information on how to do so gracefully, the following link is to an article I came across on LinkedIn recently on how to master the art of in-person networking. http://blog.hubspot.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-non_awkward-effective
networking?goback=%2Egde_3671542_member_231121151
LinkedIn is a great way to start networking yourself online, but the art of networking in person is just as important, if not more so. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding networking at cfalmer@park.edu. Also, we will have networking events throughout the school year, so be sure to check our webpage often at http://new.park.edu/career-development-center/index.html
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