Nooo… Not Networking

Experienced recruiter Marilyn Jones reflects on the importance of networking and why it should be a key part of your job search strategy.

Does the thought of networking make you go cold? Does it conjure up bad memories, or you just don’t know what to say to start the conversation? Have you had people trying to sell you something on the first conversation? Or are you daunted and intimidated by the fact that you are a junior and they might be a board member or professor at your organisation? You are not alone.

I recall going to an event about 15 years ago and this young man asked me if I was the CEO of the company on my name badge. I said “no” and was about to talk to him more, however before I knew it he had turned and left. It stunned me.

He had presumed that I was not worthy to talk with because of my position and my lack therefore of influence for him. I also learnt clearly from that occasion that taking the time to talk to a person, even for a few minutes, if they asked me a question, is a matter of manners and politeness.

How we network, how we present ourselves and how we interact is also all part of the “interview” process.

You may not know it, but you talk with people all the time in an informal sense and are therefore networking and interviewing all the time, whether it be for a future friendship, a future job, a future referral or for a future business relationship.

My favourite café had a lovely barista that was also a marketing graduate. Being a regular, I got to know her a bit and ended up helping her with her job search, and even went back to her to see if she could work for me at one stage. I had been “interviewing” her in a sense for a year. She was always polite, and treated customers with respect, always offering to help behind the counter. She was always proactive and a team player. All soft skills a hirer likes to see.

It is also a reminder not to just rely on advertisements for your job search. A very large percentage of roles are filled via the “hidden market” of roles that are never advertised.

Over 60 per cent of my roles in the last year have been filled in my recruitment business by my networking, enabling me to access this “hidden market” of talent. If you are networking, you may be the one that I find for a role.

By networking you can create job opportunities for yourself. You may hear about a role that has not yet been advertised or it may end up that you are the only one applying for the role and you are not up against many others.

Gathering information on companies that you might be interested in and how they hire is also a way of reviewing if they may be a company of choice for you.

I encourage you to look at what functions are available in your area of work that you could attend. There are many that are available for free and if you search online there are many event apps that have listings of functions, as does Pro Bono Australia (reach out to me if you can’t find any that are suitable).

Networking also provides an opportunity for you to practice your communication skills and do your “elevator pitch” (as per my last blog).

Most people I talk with actually like to help each other out.

So, are you now ready to network? Can you see the importance of it as part of your job search strategy?

Hopefully I have given you some thoughts on why it’s important. Next time I will talk about some of the strategies that I have used over the years, and given to others to help them take the first steps in networking.

About the author: Marilyn Jones is an executive recruiter experienced in resourcing staff for companies and assisting individuals with their careers. Working for both niche and multinational recruitment organisations, Jones has worked across multiple sectors in many industry and business sectors both in Australia and the UK.

Each fortnight Marilyn Jones will be exploring topics that are relevant to your career journey. She will providing advice for job seekers entering and moving within the social sector. If you’d like insights into a particular topic, please email olivia@probonoaustralia.com.au.

Please note the views expressed are the opinion of Marilyn Jones and do not necessarily reflect the views of Pro Bono Australia, its staff or contributors.