Did you know? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking. That’s great to know but how exactly does one go about finding a job via networking? Our friends at Oppin have a simple 3-step networking strategy:
1. Connect with leaders on LinkedIn
Out of over 500 million registered LinkedIn users, you are likely to find plenty of hiring managers, HR directors, and recruiters. Not to mention the people working in the team you would like to be in. Your best bet is to try to tap up fellow alumni, these people are more likely to connect with those from their Alma Mater. And if you’re on the other side of the table, here’s How to Use University Pages to Recruit.
2. Connect with leaders on Twitter
“Twitter is the internet’s cocktail party” – Gary Vaynerchuk
On Twitter, you’ll meet an abundance of interesting people such as marketers, writers, entrepreneurs, and bloggers. Whilst these people may not be able to hire you directly, they will be well-connected and can point you in the right direction. Be sure to find interesting people to follow and search for the topics that are relevant to your industry and future position. Further reading at How Twitter Networking Can Pave the Way to Your Next Job.
3. Attend meetups, conferences & industry events
Forget boring conferences, get yourself out to informal tweetups and gatherings where you can meet and connect with people in your industry. Check out Meetup, Eventbrite, and LinkedIn Groups to get listings of events happening near you. Once you sign up for an event, be sure to connect with people before by using social networks.
RELATED: Networking: Face-to-Face or Online – The Numbers
