Does Networking Still Work?

Networking is still one of the most successful ways to get a job. Unfortunately many job hunters find this strategy confusing and/or intimidating. If "it's who you know" that makes the difference between a successful job search and a failed one, they are convinced that they are destined to fail.

In fact, networking is not just who you know but who you can meet. It can occur informally: at the coffee shop, on the train, at the health club. One successful finance executive made an important connection while she was working out on the treadmill. After striking up a conversation with the person running next to her, she discovered that they were both interested in buying a franchise and ended up becoming partners and buying one together.

In another case, an optometrist struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to him on a cross-country flight from Chicago to San Francisco. As fate would have it, the man was a marketing executive for an optical company. They exchanged numbers. The man passed the optometrist's resume along to his boss and a job offer resulted.

While it may sound like serendipity (what are the odds of an optometrist sitting next to an optical company executive), you never really know where a conversation with a stranger may lead. Even if the optometrist's seat mate had not been in a related business, he might have known someone else in the business and faciliated a meeting.

Of course you don't have to rely on the kindness of strangers. You can also network (read: talk) to people you know who might be able to help you. Even if your friends and neighbors work in completely different industries or job roles, they may know someone who knows someone who can be of help to you.

Still not convinced? Maybe you are the kind of person who doesn't feel comfortable asking your friends and acquaintances for help. If so, you need to develop a more focused networking strategy. Look for professional groups where people in your industry or profession congregate, attend conferences and seminars where you can meet people in related arenas, or join some of the on-line social and professional networking communities. Networking is a necessary part of almost every job search and successful career.

Rather than allowing yourself to be intimidated by the process, you need to figure out what works best for you - or, in some cases, what is the least uncomfortable way to meet and talk to people. You don't have to be an extrovert to implement a networking strategy. You just need some basic social and communication skills along with a committed effort.