Everybody knows how important networking is for your career, right? Well, most people may intellectually KNOW that they should be networking, but I am continually amazed that so many refuse to actually do it. And these are smart people. They just happen to be smart people who loathe the idea of walking into a room full of strangers with nothing but a name badge and a nervous smile.
But in today’s job market, networking is not just important. It’s critical. There is more competition for every opening and you need more than a great resume. It’s not enough to spend your days stalking the job boards (in fact, it’s a quick way to lose your mind if you don’t step away and talk to real humans once in a while).
So why are so many job searchers still stubbornly avoiding networking? I got a new sense of the level of resistance out there at a recent event for job hunters at The New York Public Library. I conducted several 20-minute “speed career coaching” sessions over the course of the day and spoke with people at many different career stages — from recent grads to seasoned industry vets.
They all had one thing in common — all said that they knew they should be networking more, but just couldn’t bring themselves to do it. They all needed to step up their networking games. And I hope they all will take my advice to step out of their comfort zones and start connecting and reconnecting.
Obviously, I’m not the only one telling them that networking is important. I recently saw a study that quantified the value of a strong professional network. According to research by Pepperdine University and Upwardly Mobile Inc., 70% of executives credit networking for their current jobs (compared to just 16% who credit job listings). And most aren’t even networking well — 75% said that they spend fewer than two hours per week on networking and focus on the wrong things.
So how can you become a better networker? Upwardly Mobile, the company behind the study cited above, has actually developed a nifty little web-based tool to help you. UpMo.com is currently in beta and I recently had the opportunity to test it out so I can give you the scoop.
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My name is Pamela Skillings and I'm an author and career coach.