CareerGuide 2016-2017

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CENTER FOR CAREER AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
/ClemsonCCPD
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STEPS TO NETWORK YOURSELF INTO A JOB
Advantages of Networking:
• You will be exposed to the hidden 70-80% of jobs in
your field. Likewise, you will encounter little competition
for these jobs.
• You are less likely to encounter rejection since you are
not asking directly for a job — instead, you are simply
asking for information, referrals and to be remembered.
• You are exposed to higher-level positions.
• You go directly to the people who have influence on the
hiring process.
• You will be considered when a contact hears of a job,
and may be referred as a result.
• Remember, by genuinely asking advice about your
career, you will make an impression on someone and
be remembered. Once you have established a favorable
contact, it is very likely that you will be considered for
a job when it becomes available.
STEP ONE:
Prepare a list of all the professional people in your field of
interest, as well as other people who may know someone in your
field. The average person usually comes up with 50 or more
names — set your goal even higher.
Your list might include the following people:
- Friends/Relatives/Neighbors
- Teachers
- Past Employers
- College Alumni via the Alumni Association/
Regional Clubs/Academic Societies/
Constituency Groups
- Dentists/Doctors/Hairdressers
- Bankers/Lawyers/Stock Brokers
- Clergymen/Politicians/Librarians
- Small Business Owners
STEP TWO:
Call the people on your list who are outside the field you are
interested in and ask them if they know anyone in the career
you are considering. At this time, stress to them that you are
NOT looking for a job. Your contacts will be more willing to give
you names if they understand that you will not be annoying their
friends for a job, but rather requesting advice on what this field
is really like and whether it is appropriate for you.
Your goal at this stage is to interview experts to learn whether
certain fields are really what you want, while also building a
loyal network of professionals who will refer you to their friends
when a position does become available.
STEP THREE:
From your general contact list, develop a targeted list of
contacts who work in the field that you are considering.
STEP FOUR:
Call everyone on your revised list of contacts and arrange a
meeting time to get advice on breaking into your desired field(s).
Tell them who referred you and ask for about 15 minutes of their
time to gather information on your chosen career.
STEP FIVE:
Conduct your informational interview. When you meet your
contact, HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS READY. Some sample questions
are:
• How did you get started in this field?
• What skills or training are required?
• What do you find most rewarding about your work?
• What type of advice would you give to young people who
want to enter this career?
• What is the job outlook in this field?
• What do you do in a typical day?
• What types of people do you work with?
Be specific with your questions, and let your contact know that
you are NOT applying for a job. You will go a lot further if you
simply ask for advice about their field, since people are usually
willing to give advice freely, but are not always ready to help
you get a job. Toward the end of the conversation ask if your
contact can refer you to others in your field so that you can get
more information. Remember that information gathering is a
two-way street. During your interview, share information with
your contact that you have learned about the field through your
research. See pages 16–17 to learn more about informational
interviews.
MARKET YOURSELF