The New Way To A Better Job.

Another change that came about the same time was a subtle name change.  The "personnel" department became the "human resources" department.  Resources are things such as raw materials, finances, machines, and now people are put in that same category.  H.R. departments have become just impersonal clearing houses.

Resent State of California E.D.D. statistics show that those in the upper wage brackets, $50,000 per year and above, can expect to change jobs every three to five years — voluntarily or not.  And it is not much better for those making less.  For this reason it behooves all of us to become aware of the job market and to gain or sharpen our job search skills.

According to Richard Nelson Bolles in his standard work for professionals, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" the old technique of want-ad searching is no longer effective.  The following is from a survey in his book.

• Answering local newspaper ads: 5 to 24% effective — the higher the job level, the less effective.
• Private employment agencies: 5 to 24% effective — again depending on the job level
• Networking: up to 86% effective — depending on how well you work it.

What is Networking?

Asking relatives and friends for job leads (notice I said leads, not jobs) is just the beginning.  A Network is an active interconnection of several centers.  A computer network, for example, is a group of computers tied together to actively share data.  A T.V. network is several T.V. stations around the country tied together so that they can show the same programming in their different cities.  Personal networking is much the same — it's people tied together by some common bond, church, business, interests, to share information that no individual could garner by themselves.

In brief, job networking involves researching employers of interest to you; approaching that organization, through networking, to see the person there who has the power to hire for the position you are seeking.  If you are working, networking helps others know what jobs are available and gives those in your network "inside" information that helps them get that job (this is not unethical).  Helping others gives you a good network to draw on should you choose or need to find a new job yourself.
 

"One of the first steps to take when you begin your job search, is to build a
network of contacts that you can use as soon as possible.  Make a list of names of persons that you know, i.e. friends, relatives, business acquaintances, co-workers, club members, bankers, etc.  Next list the company or organization they work for and their roll or title within that organization.

"Following this, write down how you think this individual can be utilized.  You say, "I don't know."  Think about it.  Find out.  If your neighbor is a sales person, certainly he knows the situation within his own company.  This person is normally contacting numerous other businesses.  They will know which companies are growing, coming into hard times, or hiring.

"Axiom: Asking Questions Can't Hurt You.  Silence Will!"

From The Quick Job Hunt Guide, Robert D. Siedle, Starburst Publishers
 

Of course there is a lot more to networking for a job but, I hope this gives you some idea of what it is all about.
 
 
 

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