The Art of Networking for Your Next Job!

by John Kuzmich, Jr.

December 29, 2003

Back to Table of Contents

Are You Ready to Upgrade Your Networking Skills?

• Networking: The Art of Locating the 80%+ Unadvertised Positions! Perhaps there is nothing more frustrating for unemployed and underemployed people is when they experience difficulty in locating unadvertised positions which makes up 80%+ of the job market. It is recommended that one make 20 networking contacts a week. This is not an easy process unless one understands the dynamics of networking. Fortunately, there are some excellent resources available to assist one in their networking pursuits.
  1. Smart Job Guides at <http://www.smartjobguides.com>. This web site can turn yourself into a killer job search machine overnight for the 80%+ hidden job market. It offers 25 links to powerful networking topics. Check out these topics covered at: http://www.smartjobguides.com/indexb.cfm?G_IDCode=NET100&the_start=1

• What Is Networking? (FREE)
• The Secrets Of The Employed: Why They Network
• The Power Of Word Of Mouth
• Crafting A Daily Networking Plan For Results
• Network With Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime!
• Create A Dynamite Networking Script
• Networking Necessities (Tips That Land Jobs)
• Mastering Meetings With Contacts
• Top 10 Networking Questions (Breaking The Ice)
• How To Handle The Shyness Factor
• Organization: A Vital Step To Networking Success
• Cover Letters Aren't Enough…Networking Notes Work
• How To Cultivate Your Contacts Successfully
• Making Industry Contacts Count
• Telephone Tactics That Get Jobs
• Networking For Recent College Graduates
• How To Use The Internet To Network
• Networking Tips For Job Fair Attendees
• Networking Strategies When You Are Laid Off
• Networking Myths That Can Cost You The Job
• IMPORTANT: Following Up With Network Leads
• Best Places To Network
• Networking Nightmares And How To Avoid Them
• Informational Interviews: What Are They?
• Informational Interviews: How To Succeed At Them

Although each of these 25 job guides cost $8.95 or $3.38 each when you purchase all 25, these topics by themselves make an excellent Internet search engine research project so that you can use the Internet more creatively in your career pursuits.

• Harvey MacKay is noted as the author of the most productive book on networking. It is entitled "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty." For more information, go to: <http://www.mackay.com/welcome.html>. In addition to the book and articles published, this web site offers a great 12+ question self-assessment test entitled "Your Networking Report Card" to better understand how much help you may really need about what dynamic networking skills consists of.

• Andrea Nierenberg is a master at improving a business's greatest asset — its people. For more information, go to: <http://www.selfmarketing.com/andrea.html>. For an on-line video of Andrea in action, go to: http://www.selfmarketing.com/press.html where she offers sound advice along with numerous press releases. Andrea has been featured on PBS.

• Diane Darling is the author of "The Networking Survival Guide" You can learn more about this excellent publication at: <http://www.effectivenetworking.com/>. Her focus is that “Networking creates a placeholder for future contact" along with connections with the right people putting you on the path to success. Being able to leverage your people networks saves you time, energy, and money.

• The Orange County Register, an Orange County, California newspaper has an incredible Sunday column feature on employment networking and other tricks of the trade. To read these on-line articles, go to http://www.ocjobfinder.com/ocregister/index.shtml and use the pull-down menu for "More Articles" and you'll instantly find a wealth of feature articles to pursue on-line. One example is "Networking Myths Exposed" by Bill Quinnan at: <http://www.ocjobfinder.com/ocregister/articles/072003/networking_072003.shtml>

• For real creative networking techniques, you must read Jeffrey J. Fox's book: Don't Send A Resume for it will get you out of the closet in making new networking inroads. Are you one of millions who sends out resumes expecting miracles? For more insight about this innovative approach and his publication, go to: <http://www.hyperionbooks.com/books/2001spring/dontsend.htm>.

• NETWORK to Your Next Job! by Rand Christensen. Offers proven approaches to organizing a daily schedule for creative networking!. For 15+ minutes of audio streaming instruction, click below:

• Networking Visuals

1. Most Openings Are Not Publicized: go to http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Non_Publicized.pdf
2. Cracking Hidden Job Market: go to http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Hidden_Jobs.pdf
3. Allocate Daily Job Search Time Effectively: go to http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Allocate_Search.pdf
4. Locate Jobs Within Your Network: go to http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Net_Web.pdf

If you do not have a RealOne media player to playback the audio files found on this web site below,

please check the free resource listed below.

If you need to download a free multimedia player for RealOne Player, go to: RealOne Player for both Macintosh and PC Windows users.

• Introduction: Who Is Rand Christensen: go to: track1 (28.8. KB/second telephone dial-up modem)

• Getting Started: Dos and Don'ts of Networking!: go to: track 2 (28.8. KB/second telephone dial-up modem)

• The Ultimate Plan: Don't Send A Resume First!: go to: track 3 (28.8. KB/second telephone dial-up modem)

• Worksheets for tracking your weekly and daily job search activities. These worksheets will outline the necessary steps for implementing daily job searches via creative networking activities.
  1. Daily Time Sheet: go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Daily_Time.pdf
  2. Daily and Weekly Productivity Sheet: go to: http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Weekly_Productivity.pdf
  3. Activity Report: go to http://www.kuzmich.com/Church/Activity Report.pdf