Communications of the ACM
Three Career Tips For Novice Networkers
Most people are not networkers, and must be eased into that process.
Credit: Fast Company
LinkedIn product Senior Vice President Deep Nishar offers three tips for finding your next career opportunity, even if you're a networking novice. As Nishar explains, you have to manage your career every single day, and given the current economic environment, it's now more important than ever to obsessively manage any and all career prospects. Everyone is an entrepreneur these days: this means you manage your career as if you are your own business. With studies consistently showing that referrals are the No. 1 source of external hires, your career network may be the most valuable resource you have to find your next job opportunity.
According to Nishar, the first and most important step is to establish your network, even when you don't think you have a professional network to establish. A common concern, especially true for students, is that it is simply too difficult to establish professional connections. Your network could ultimately help facilitate a referral, but if it's not established, you'll be stuck sifting through job boards or the classifieds. Due to the ease of applying for new jobs, companies on the receiving end are getting inundated with resumes. Unless you have a network for potential referrals, you won't be able to cut through the clutter.
If you're using LinkedIn simply to list your work history, you're using it wrong. The network is always talking to you, with users sharing things that show up in your activity stream every morning. For example, consider LinkedIn Today, the company's personalized news service. If you read a good article that you believe your network would value, then share it. Establish an expertise in something, either through sharing content or answering questions on special topics or demonstrating an interest in learning more about a subject. The next step is to bring relationships established in the digital world offline. Through LinkedIn, you can build these connections by reaching out to others not directly connected to you within a network. It won't necessarily result in a job, but it'll expand your network, provide advice, and establish a potent referral.
From Fast Company
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