ALICE FLAWITH
Benefits of A 24
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2011 YouGov Survey found that personal contacts are the most effective way to secure employment, with 62% recommending a job to those they know and 57% of those who applied through a contact continuing on to secure the job successfully.
But the key to networking is that it isn’t an instant process and its
power goes far beyond only being a ‘tool’ for gaining access to employment. The frequently discussed ‘hidden job market’ implies that using networking to secure a role is a one dimensional process, an interaction that will, in one step, take you to securing a job; in reality, it is far more complex and more fruitful than that. Instead, networking is an opportunity to talk with others about similar interests and to build mutually beneficial relationships, for the long and short term. In the world of the Careers and Placements Service at the University, a network is the sharing of connections and knowledge which yields results from both parties. Steven D’Souza (author of Brilliant Networking and a visiting speaker here) believes that it is using the connections you have in a more intelligent way, offering support that has the potential to help you in your path of career exploration. This is playing the long game, taking time to think about your current base of contacts and ways in which this could be expanded to the mutual benefit of both individuals involved.
Identify your current network and consider ways in which you could develop your primary contacts further. Whether this is from within the workplace or outside, there will always be possibilities for
Networking The
Networking. What exactly is it all about? Often it conjures up images of having a forced conversation over a glass of wine – but surely it goes beyond this? Alice Flawith from the Careers and Placements Service looks at the art of making new contacts.
linking up with new people. Get involved with a club, be it sports, a society or volunteering. The sharing of an activity away from a work environment establishes connections over a common interest, allowing interaction to take place away from an environment anchored in job titles. Exploring your interests in this way will also enable life-long skills to be developed that will make a great impression all round. The opportunity to expand contacts has progressed beyond only face-to-face communications with the growth of virtual communities. With the existence of social sites such as LinkedIn coming to the fore, a Jobvite Recruiting Survey for 2010 stated that 92% of those hiring were already recruiting or planned to execute their recruitment via social networks. An online profile enables the user to tailor their achievements and interests, depending on the image they want to project and the relationships they want to make. It is fundamentally a form of resource sharing – the opportunity to exchange information and gain industry insight. There are websites that offer great advice on how to design your online profile, which will help in where to begin with creating one. Joining professional bodies is another way of linking up to a community and expanding your network. Websites such as ‘All Jobs UK’ give a summary of professional associations which have societies, social
A network is the sharing of connections and knowledge which yields results from both parties
14/04/2012 18:05
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