How to use your contacts to find a job

Networking is part of life. There are social contacts, business contacts, friends, acquaintances, clients, it's a virtual biography of everyone you know.

However- A sort of mystique has formed about networks, particularly in the job market.

You'd swear, reading the endless books, that networking was like the Fountain of Youth for job seekers.

Let's get a few things straight:

• You can glue a group of people together and call it a network.
• Any group of people will function something like a network, usually inefficiently, and often obstructively, getting in each other's way.
• At least a few people will have almost no useful inputs into a network like that.

The people you need for a useful job networking group are those who can actually help you.

This is what a network does:

It provides:

OK, looking at that, you can see that you're dealing with a group of people in a position to do that. Not just anybody that comes along, or someone who's heard a rumor about a job at the old rendering plant.

How to create a network for yourself

You need good people, a good two way contact system, and good information sources.

Your objective, above all, is a trustworthy network as the end product.

Good people

These are really friends. Networks are relationships, not just people on the other end of phones and emails. There's only one kind of working relationship that is 100% trustworthy, and survives, and that's a healthy, friendly, relationship.

There's a comfort zone in any relationship. Some people just cannot create a relationship, can't work together.

The theory of networking, as preached by the common wisdom, is all about shared opportunities, shared goals, etc. in practice, some people are competitors. Some just can't even communicate with each other.

People really do pick their friends. Bear in mind that in your job network, you'll be asking people for help with one of the most important things in your life. This is a really sensitive area for anyone to try and handle.

Picking your people takes a bit of time and quite a lot of thought. It's also expecting a lot of your friends, however sincere they are about helping you. You need a fairly broad range of contacts in your network.

In the workplace, Colleagues or former colleagues may help, and some managers are potentially very helpful indeed, when they can be. This is another relationship-based situation, and has to be handled accordingly, working with people you're comfortable to be dealing with.

Another useful source, which can become a sort of extended network, aren't even people you know. One of the best possible sources of information around is the employers themselves. They're neutral. They have no preferences, and they give you the information you want, if you know how to ask the right questions.

When scouting out a job, local knowledge is important. Anything you can learn about the job could be the difference between getting it and not getting it.

Job hunting is competitive, and you need to use your network to create advantages for yourself. That means knowing where the right information can be sourced.

Your network can find that out for you. it can also make sure you get the right information, not a guessing game, when going for a job.

Advice and actual assistance in job applications

Example:

Networks are often used to find jobs before they're advertised, another result of having good information. But in this case we'll use an example of an advertised job:

John has just discovered a job in a local firm which is in the same line of work he was doing a year or so ago. He needs to know, however, if this job is suitable, because he's strong in customer service and supervision, but not on the banking and cash handling side of it. He rings his friend Betty, who works there in another department.

John: Hi Betty. You know that supervisor job at your place? What's involved in that position? Is it all customer service, or is it banking and reconciliations, things like that?

Betty: There's not much banking, just a balance every day, totaling register receipts, making sure what's been receipted matches the total, simple stuff.

John: I've done the customer service stuff before, but what do I need to know about the business?

Betty: Er… I'm not too sure about the nuts and bolts. Dave would know, he's our x guy, handling the application… I'll give you his number…

John: Hi Dave. Betty in accounts said I should talk to you. I'm looking at that supervisor job you've got advertised: What's involved in the work?

Dave: The supervisor is the complaints officer, as well as handling the customers, supervising the staff, and dealing with the more complex work. There's a lot of work, too, John. You'll find that you need to know a lot about the merchandise, and understand what the complaints are.

We do a lot of servicing, and we have to keep an eye on patterns of complaints, try and find problems before they find us. I can send you our manual, our facts sheet, and our basic complaints policy. You've done this sort of work before?

John: Yes, I've done years of the customer service side, and complaints. I'm checking this one out thoroughly because I know how complicated customer service can be. I also need to see where the priorities are, what the firm wants, all the really important stuff.

Dave: Hm. We're pretty anxious to fill that job, and we need an experienced person. OK, look, if you want to apply for this job, after you've see our materials, send a copy of your application direct to me. I'll let you know what's happening.

John: Thank you, very much appreciated. Look, I wonder if I could ask you to give me some feedback, if my application isn't up to par? I really want to do this right, and if I'm making mistakes at application stage, I need to know…

Dave: Sure, I know what you mean. Actually, one thing I would suggest is that after you've had a look at our materials, you make sure that you can show us you've done that sort of work. You know, examples of complaints work, monitoring complaints and services. I'll email all this stuff to you now, what's your email?

For the price of a couple of phone calls, John has:

• Got himself some working information about the job,
• Made sure it's work he can do, which is in his stronger skill set,
• Got a contact with the employer,
• Has made a brief sales pitch to the guy handling the application.

He's also received some very useful information about what he needs to put in his application, and can ring back and ask about his application.

So when he lodges his application, he's not going to be guessing about what's required, and he's probably got a lot more information than other applicants.

Betty is a friend, and happy to help. She had the basic information about the job. She knew Dave was handling the applications, (local knowledge) and added that extra touch. John's just using a friend as a contact, it's a perfectly normal part of their relationship.

Dave isn't in John's network, but as a neutral, he's doing his job. He's helping both the employer and the applicant, to fill a job the employer needs done. That's what professional HR people are supposed to do, and it's a lot more efficient than the advertising process alone.

Networking is about getting information, sharing information, and making good use of information.

A word of warning:

Some people seem to think of networks as being like a club. You join, get your badge, and then just stand in line for the handouts.

That's not how networks work.

It's a completely wrong idea, erase that concept entirely from your mind, when creating your own network.

Betty would be in an equally good position to contact John and ask for information or advice.

Networks are each-way things.

People in networks give mutual support.

The relationships are based on real, working, fully functional, personal relationships.

The relationships are not based, as some people seem to think, on ringing around everyone you know, trying to get information. Some people even suggest sending so-called network members Christmas cards, to stay in touch. You can imagine what a truly great relationship that would be, when trying to get a job.

That sort of thing just gets on people's nerves, or, more likely, actually offends them, quite effectively.

Good networks are comprised of people who can be of mutual use to each other. The best networks are based on your understanding what others in the network need, and them understanding what you need.

Friends are reliable.

Good relationships are trustworthy.

That's what a network is supposed to be.