AFSNews Careers Column April 1994

I got my job through networking. It really is that simple. Actually, I was not seeking job leads. Rather, my current boss, was using her network to gather information. She called me for advice on advertising the position. I was working as an editor, and she wanted to reach candidates with editorial skills. As we discussed the position, I realized that I should apply; she was also seeking public speaking skills and library experience.

Most of us probably grew up hearing, "It's not what you know, it's who you know." In today's job market, the phrase might be expressed, "It's not only what you know and who you know, but also who knows you." Networking is one of the most important aspects of the job search today. You need to develop many contacts as you seek employment.

According to a 1989 hiring survey by the Erdlen Bograd Group, a Wellesley, Massachusetts, outplacement company, the most common source of new employees was referrals by current employees--38.2 percent. Only slightly more than 20 percent of vacancies were advertised. The same survey revealed that 34.1 percent of successful candidates found their jobs through networking. Only 23.4 percent found jobs through ads. Research at the University of Calgary has yielded similar results: employers prefer to hire people recommended by their own employees; advertising in newspapers was the least common source of new hires. Unfortunately, that study found that most job seekers rely solely on newspaper ads. The strategy that candidates used the least was networking.

If you are looking for work, you should use a variety of job-search strategies, but networking should perhaps be the foremost. You can begin by listing people you know. These contacts can be professional or personal. You should also join and become active in professional associations. (The annual AFS meeting is a great place to network!) Service providers--insurance agents, bankers, librarians, and others--are also good contacts. In networking, one asks contacts for information and advice, not for jobs. The point of this process is that someone will know someone who knows someone who has a job vacancy. As a networker, you are seeking to get to that person.

What sorts of questions should you ask? "Do you know anyone who hires people with skills like mine?" "How does one begin a career in . . . ?" "What do you think a person with my skills and background should do to begin a job search?" "How can I best present my skills and abilities to potential employers?" "Can you recommend other people for me to talk to? May I tell those people that you suggested that I contact them?"

Remember that networking is a reciprocal arrangement. You should write thank you notes to people who help you and share information with them when appropriate.

If you have suggestions for future columns, please contact me at Career Services, Lucina Hall, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306 (tel: 765/285-2430; fax: 765/285-3757; e-mail: 00JPGOODWIN@BSU.EDU).

Joseph P. Goodwin Ball State University