Jobhop Jobhop's blog : How to Use Your Connections to Get a Job
Are you well connected? How can you use your connections to get a job?
It’s not what you know but who you know.
That’s a well known saying that you’ve probably heard and it does hold some truth. With the right connections, you could find yourself a job in no time. People know of openings within their own organisations and can put in a good word for you. If you’re a freelancer, you may just end up talking to someone who needs help with a project that you could cover.
Using your connections to get a job should be done wisely, here are a few tips to help you.
Tell Them You’re Available
There’s no point keeping this a secret. If they don’t know that you’re looking to work at a particular company, or want a specific role or you’re open for new clients, they won’t be able to talk to the right people for you. They won’t know that’s what you’d like them to do! You don’t need to shout it from the rooftops; just a casual chat over the phone, or a message on Linkedin, even meeting for coffee could be the perfect setting to tell them exactly what you want.
Ask Them to Write a Recommendation for You
Talk to your former employer or previous clients and ask them for a recommendation. If you’re fresh out of college, talk to your teachers and professors for recommendations. This is a great way to use your connections. It shows your strengths on paper and gives an employer a strong reason to hire you for their project. Do it before you leave college so your teachers can write a tailored recommendation just for you and they wont have to try to remember who you are.
Have a Recommendation List
Not all people have the time or want to write out a recommendation. If that is the case, ask for them to be placed on a recommendation list. This is a list of people who a potential employer can call to speak to about your skills and whether they would recommend you for the job. Whenever you hand out the list, make sure you inform the people on it of the company and when you handed it out so they are prepared for a call.
Referrals and recommendations are extremely important as every employer likes to see them. Let all your connections know you’re job hunting; you never know who they know!
JOIN Jobhop and spread the word.
Alex James Jobhop.co.uk
In:
- Jobs