Job Insights: How Important is Growing a Network?
“If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people.” ~Chinese Proverb
Growing a network is one of the most essential things in life. Some people don’t realize the impact is has until that opportunity comes, whether it’s a job, a favour, or just someone to talk to. With new jobs being created, university graduates and many individuals looking for work — networking is key. Most people don’t usually like to expand their network beyond their friends, families and current colleagues but it is a good idea to go further than that.
Stats about Networking
- When you start looking for new jobs the top 3 channels you would go to is job boards, professional network and word of mouth. When it comes to actually getting a job the #1 way is through a referral according to LinkedIn Statistics.
- 35% of employees refer others to help out their friends while 32% of them do it to help their company. If you have a good network and are both good friends with someone and good for the company then your most likely going to get referred.
- Due to a recent study conducted by Lou Adler, after surveying 3000 people he found that 85% of jobs are filled via networking. There’s an old saying that it’s not about what you know, but who you know. Although may not be completely accurate it paints a picture of how important networking is.
- What about social networking? 14.4 Million people use social media to find a job and 73% of companies hire through social media. That means that Instagram picture of breakfast or that tweet with 14 hashtags could help land you a job!
So let’s face it, one way or another building a network or utilizing your existing one can get you a job. I talked about building your social brand in one of my previous posts so this just builds on that. Making sure you have an online presence so people can reach out and connect with you. Let’s look at some ways to build a network.
Growing your Network
There are a number of ways to grow a network and should always be something to be aware of when meeting new people.
- Conferences — This is one of the staples of networking that everyone should go to. Whether it’s a local one, something in your industry or even part of a hobby. Going to these brings together massive amounts of strangers in one place with similar interests. This is probably the best way to network because it is expected to happen at every event. Good conferences will help facilitate this by having drinks/foods, booths, guest speakers, etc. Always remember to bring a stack of business cards with you!
- Workshops — This involves developing a skill of some sort, whether it is hobby or job related. Either type is good to building out a network, it doesn’t always have to be job-related. When you are with a group of people all learning the same thing it’s like your back to school! Helping each other out, study groups, and you get to display your skill level to others.
- Company Functions — These are very important with regards to growing your internal work network. The Christmas parties, award ceremonies or just going for a drink after work can make your relationships stronger internally. This can help you in the future with regards to getting a promotion or if someone leaves they refer you as well. Always remain as professional as possible, getting drunk and puking over the Christmas tree won’t be a pretty picture.
- Other Events — There are many other events that can constitute networking like charity, community, etc. One thing I go to is a Community Poker Tournament in Waterloo for all tech professionals who are local. Wherever you get to meet a bunch of strangers and potentially establish a relationship is a good place for networking.
So go out there, meet some people and grow your network. You never know when your going to meet your next boss. But let’s say you do have a large network and you start looking for a job, now what?
Leveraging a Network
Your current network is always much bigger then you actually think it is. There is some study that we all know about, the 7 degrees of separation. You know someone who knows someone who basically knows everyone. I have 3 degrees of separation to Drake! Knowing how to leverage your network is just important as building one.
- Start with people in your industry. People who know what you do and can provide you some contacts or a referral to their work. These are the first steps to take for utilizing your network. Depending on how close you are with the person I would do drinks, lunch or a phone call. It’s important to not put pressure on the person to do anything. Just asking if they know of anyone or any company that is hiring is usually suffice enough. If they can help you out they usually will.
- Move onto your family/friends. They might not be in your industry but they might know someone who is. Ask them for their contact information or a warm introduction from them. These are usually easier to do because you have a closer relationship with them.
- People from school. This is also a great source to use when finding a job, especially the ones that majored in the same courses. If you work in the same industry it could be a great way to re-connect and ask them for referrals/contact. I had someone who I went to school with reach out to me about a job at where I worked, in which I recommended him for.
- Clubs, Hobbies, etc. Even reaching out to your knitting club or volleyball team that you play with could be a good place. People who just like you but don’t know how good you are at your job will still recommend you.
- Other contacts from networking. This could be many things like people you met at some events, mentors you’ve had or even an old neighbour. They could have turned out to be a manager at the exact company you are wanting to join. So reach out to these contacts as well and see where it goes.
Now that you know how important networks are, how to build and also how to leverage them. Go out and do it! You build a network for the future and leverage them for the present. So if you aren’t looking for a job right now you should be building up your network.
What are some of your tips on networking?
Sources:
http://www.connectuscanada.com/ebooks/canadian-networking-survey.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-survey-reveals-85-all-jobs-filled-via-networking-lou-adler
http://www.jobcast.net/26-social-recruiting-stats-and-facts/
http://www.connectuscanada.com/ebooks/canadian-networking-survey.pdf
https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-use-networking-to-find-a-job-2058686
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/job-networking-tips.htm
https://www.forbes.com/2010/05/25/career-networking-tips-personal-finance-network.html
