Networking Skills Remain the Key to Finding a Job Today

The national unemployment rate may have finally fallen under 9 percent in November. But the slight dip to 8.6

percent is no reason for job seekers to forget that networking skills remain

the key to finding a job today.

It looked like cause for celebration when the national unemployment rate

finally took a fall in November. But financial analysts quickly put a damper on the news. According to a blog post

by the Washington Post, the real unemployment rate should be

considered 11 percent. That’s because so many frustrated potential workers have simply stopped looking for jobs.

This means that those jobs that are out there are still in great demand. If

you find a job listing in the newspaper or at a popular online job site, you can

bet that you’ll be competing with hundreds of similarly skilled potential workers all looking to land the same

position. Even if your resume sparkles and your experience is deep, the odds are against you nabbing the position.

Offline Networking Still a Big Deal

That’s why networking skills remain so important to job seekers. The easiest

jobs to land are those that never show up in the want ads or on online job boards. The job that you are most

likely to win is one that you hear about from a colleague or fellow business

professional.

Getting Job Leads the Old-Fashioned Way

Here’s how it works: You’re attending the regular luncheon of your local

chamber of commerce. You mention to the business owner sitting to your left that you’re looking to land a full-

time job as a graphic artist. The business owner happens to know a

retailer in town who needs someone to handle the graphic portion of her

website. You now have a legitimate job lead.

Or maybe you regularly attend your local Rotary Club meetings. You might

even speak at the event about your public relations business and how important it is for small business

owners to market themselves effectively. Someone in the audience might know of a small business in the

area looking to add a full-time marketing professional to its roster. Again, you now have a hot job lead.

The networking approach to finding a new job is, simply put, the most

effective, by far. Your odds of landing a job recommended to you by a

business associate are much higher than they are of you filling a position

that has attracted 500 other resumes.

Avoid a Frustrating Job Search and Brush Up On Your Networking Skills

Don’t skimp on your networking skills. Without them, you might find the job

search to be a long and frustrating one.

If you need to brush up on your networking skills consider signing up

for our Get Hired Boot Camp. Our educators will help you boost your

networking ability and take that crucial step toward landing your ideal job.

Interested in Finding Out More about Job Search Strategies and Job Search Advice? Please come and visit us at

http://www.GetHiredFast.com