It’s all how you play the networking game
➔ Ask anyone who is familiar with today’s job market and they won’t hesitate to expound on the benefits of networking. No argument here. In fact, if you were to ask that same person’s counterpart from 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago, they would probably say the same thing.
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Sound familiar?
You can’t even imagine who is out there
Some job seekers are reluctant to engage in active networking thinking that there is no one that they know who can find them a job. And, in some cases, they may be right. There is, however, another aspect to the networking game that they may be overlooking, or that they may not fully comprehend and appreciate.
Many recruiters often espouse the concept that your next job will probably come from (or through) someone you don’t know today. In other words, the person who ultimately puts you in contact with your next job is someone not in your immediate circle of contacts. It just very well may be someone known to one of your contacts. Think of it as a contact once removed.
This is why many recruiters and job coaches recommend ending a networking meeting (or informational interview) with the simple question, "Is there anyone else I should be talking to?"
Sometimes you have to dig a little deeper to find that rich vein of gold.