Top 10 Ways to Find Jobs – Networking STILL Important
Networking May 31st. 2008, 10:39amOne of the oldest and most respected of Internet sources on jobs and employment, Weddle’s (www.weddles.com), recently released results from its March, 2008 Source of Employment Survey. More than 15,600 individuals responded: 65% males, 35% females; median age, 40-45; more than 60% self-described as managers, mid-level professionals and executives.
The top 10 sources used to find jobs
13.3% – ad posted on Internet job board
7.0% – tip from friend
6.8% – other
6.3% – newspaper ad
6.2% – posted resume on job board
6.0% – called by a headhunter
5.8% – referred by employee of company
5.2% – sent resume to company
4.9% – career fair
4.8% – networking at work
Note that the only double-digit percentage is Internet job boards, definitely a growing trend, but when you add the numbers from all that we can include as networking, you get a different perspective.
7.0% – tip from friend
5.8% – referred by employee of company
4.8% – networking at work
——
= 17.6%
And, if we add attending “career fairs” as networking (It IS an active, face-to-face method, as are all the other networking methods.)
+4.9% – career fair
——
= 22.5% (nearly twice the success rate of job boards)
Also, note that being called by a headhunter is not likely to happen for entry-level college grads, advanced degree or not.
Interestingly, Weddel found that just 3.9% had found jobs either through a social networking site or published through a professional association. It may take more time to see whether social networking becomes effective enough to make it into the top ten, and whether
professional associations continue to decline.
Of course, these stats shouldn’t discourage the use of Internet job boards, but it should encourage more networking.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:30 am
Good to know the numbers show face-to-face contact still overwhelms the virtual application for success in job hunting. Some scuttle among friends is suggesting online social networking sites offer a few bonuses to the job search.
(1) On Linked In we actually get to see each others skill/experience list, allowing more complete information about each others skills than we can absorb in a history of conversations.
(2) We can see linkages between friends, shared interests and expand on them. We also see what interests or business areas THEIR friends work in. These do not always come up in conversations. This allows us expanded opportunity to ask for introductions to like minded (or like industry) contacts, in a casual manner.
(3) We can access these ‘resumes’ anytime to make a connection with a passing opportunity.
So, I agree the virtual social networking sites can be good supplement to our job search quest.
September 12th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Randa, Great points to make about how to use LinkedIn!
(1) Unfortunately, I see very few LinkedIn profiles in which people have actually listed their skills beyond the resume-like jobs/experience. (And, I’m even guilty of that myself!)
(2) Noticing these linkages with friends and their interests is a great counter to the question I often see, on why we should bother collecting a lot of people as “friends.” It’s a great way to get background on a person before you meet face-to-face, to help establish common ground in a conversation. — “It’s really good to meet you, and I noticed that your LinkedIn profile says you’re working on a (whatever it is). I’ve been doing some parallel research and I wanted to ask you about….”
(3) Yes, and those passing opportunities can work both ways! A friend of mine was “found” in LinkedIn by a business acquaintance who was looking for a web designer, but he didn’t know she did that as a sideline until he searched his local LinkedIn profiles for “web designer.” Both searcher and searchee were pleased with the result.
Thanks for the comments – I really liked your extension of the post.