Job Connections. Sometimes It’s WHO You Know

By Perminus Wainaina 

How certain are you that you’ll get the job after you’ve applied? Does knowing someone in an organization help your job search process?

Earlier this week, I received a message on LinkedIn. The message was from Lucy, a customer service professional with two years’ experience. She wrote of how she had been out of the job market for three months.

“I have been applying for jobs, but I never hear back from employers.” Part of the message read.

“What could I be doing wrong when applying for jobs? Or is it all about whom you know? Must I know somebody in a company in order to get hired?” continued the message.

Lucy’s message struck me. And I know it’s not just Lucy, you too might be asking yourself these questions.

On several occasions, I have been asked the question of ‘does who you know matter when you’re looking for a job?’

There’s an old saying that goes, ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know.’

I have found this saying to be true when it comes to the job search process.

Quick Read>>> 6 Signs That Your Career Has Stagnated

There’s a myth that some professionals believe, that when you have the right skills and experience, then you will automatically get the job.

However, remember the job market is highly saturated. According to statistics, there are over 1.7 million people who are actively looking for a job. There are also millions of others who although they are employed, they are also looking for better jobs and will apply for a lucrative position when they get the chance. They are referred to as ‘passive job seekers.’

When interacting with employers, many have admitted that they get thousands of applications when they advertise a position. The case is the same for the latest jobs we advertise at Corporate Staffing Services.

A few months back, an employer approached us to shortlist for positions they had advertised. They had a total of seven positions, but they had received a close to twenty thousand applications. In such a case, your experience alone will not help you since there are thousands of others who are equally qualified or even better fitted.

Simply put, you need to find the right people through networking.

Unfortunately, many professionals go for knowing one particular person e.g. a recruiter or hiring manager.

When I say you need to know someone, I mean you need to network with other professionals and job seekers.

You might overlook the power of networking, but when you investigate further, you’ll notice it accounts for a large part of job seekers who end up being employed.

Also Read>>> 3 Fears Keeping You From Advancing In Your Career

Before most companies advertise their positions on newspapers and other advertising avenues, they first circulate the positions within the company. If an employee knows you or knows you’re looking for a job, they’ll ask you to send your application or they’ll recommend you for the position. Only when this fails do most companies choose to externally advertise the positions.

How then, do you find networking avenues? And how are you supposed to network?

How To Network Effectively.

As we have seen, networking is important, whether you’re looking for a job or seeking to advance in your career. But how do you become a pro at networking? These tips will help.

Read on to see tips that will help you with networking.