The #1 Way to Find a Job

Finding a job that matches your skills and talents takes time, effort and a little luck. As a career coach, I typically recommend that people allocate their job-search hours as follows:

• 70% - Networking

• 20% - Researching and applying to jobs

• 10% - Creating and updating self-promotional materials, such as resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles and posts

The reason you should spend most of your time networking is simple: It’s how the majority of people find jobs. That’s particularly true if you’re mid-career. Your former colleagues, clients and customers are the people most likely to understand your unique strengths and alert you to relevant jobs. 

People often take a negative view of networking, associating it with awkward or time-consuming social functions. But networking can be smooth, efficient and mutually beneficial. Following are three tips to help make it that way:

1. Join job-hunting support groups

Isolation can be one of the most challenging aspects of a protracted search for work. Although more than 6 million people in the United States are looking for jobs, it’s not uncommon to feel alone in this endeavor. Loneliness can be particularly acute if you’re used to working in a collaborative environment. 

To combat feelings of isolation, consider joining forces with others who are looking for new roles. You might organize a support group of fellow job-seeking professionals, or you could seek out existing groups in your field or area. One organization that I have heard good things about is Never Search Alone (www.phyl.org), a free service that matches job seekers with four to six peers at similar experience levels who are also looking for work. The resulting “job search councils” provide a built-in community of people who are dedicated to helping each other land their next positions.

2. Reach out to recruiters

Recruiters are professional networkers — their success depends on being able to find suitable candidates for the jobs they are filling. One client of mine recently got in touch with a recruiter she had worked with 10 years ago. More than a decade later, that recruiter remembered her and helped her land her dream job. Of course, it’s not always easy to attract a recruiter’s attention, especially in today’s competitive job market. Here are a couple of tips that can help you get on a recruiter’s radar:

• Get specific. Look for recruiters who specialize in your particular industry or field. A strong match between your skills and the types of jobs they place will increase your chances of hearing back from them.

• Be responsive. Respond to all reputable recruiters who reach out to you, even if you are not interested in the jobs at hand. Use the opportunity to let them know what types of positions appeal to you. 

• Ask for introductions. If you don’t know any recruiters, see if your contacts can introduce you to those they may have worked with. Human Resources (HR) professionals are especially likely to have relationships with recruiters.

3. Maximize technology

LinkedIn is the gold-standard for professional networking online. When using this platform, in addition to reviewing formal job postings, look for openings informally posted by searching for the type of role you are seeking, along with the word “hiring.” For example, if you seek an accounting job, you would search “accounting hiring” in posts. Another tool that helps job seekers identify openings in organizations where they have connections is Warmer Jobs (warmerjobs.com). This platform, currently in beta, has job seekers sync their LinkedIn contacts, and then scrapes jobs at the companies where their contacts work. By using it, you can be served up relevant job listings, along with the connections you have at each organization. The platform offers both free and paid options.

One word of caution: Although there are many useful tools and organizations serving job seekers, there are also many scammers. Do your research, and be wary of anything that’s costly, requires sharing personal or financial data, or just seems too good to be true. Good luck with your search! 

Note: This article is a reprint of my monthly "Career Corner" column that appears in "The Luminary," the city of Brisbane's business and community journal.