"But I don't know anybody who does that!"

The key to doing a successful networked oriented job search is to understand that it is driven by human nature. Human nature SCREAMS that people hire people they already know and trust much more often than they hire people they've never seen before their life.

A console to the above statement is that the biggest reason (really the only reason) someone is considering hiring someone they've never met in their life is that they don't already know of someone that could do the job.

One of the strongest skills of effective networking therefore is to identify people who are already doing the things you think you want to do.

And I am here to tell you that if I had a dollar for every time a client of mine over the last 29 years has said words to the effect that they don't know anybody who's in the field of think they want to go into-well I would be much better off.

It may very well be true that one does not know of anybody in a certain field; however, there's a very simple way to begin meeting people who are already doing the work you think you want to do so that you can get none. That very simple way is just a start asking. That can be frightful for some people so let's take a look at this.

Consider making a list of everybody that you feel safe with in your life. Who might that be? It could be family, friends, acquaintances, your minister, your doctor, your dentist, your wife, your husband, your significant other, your brother your sister I think you get the idea.

Then you go to each one of them in a manner and in a way that is safe for you and simply asked them "Who do you know that does this occupation?" While not everyone you know may know of someone who was already in the field you're thinking about you will be surprised and many times absolutely flabbergasted by the number of names you will glean from this activity. Then you follow up with these people using whatever networking technique you're comfortable with.

Ignorance!

Last week I asked the question do you really think that the bad economy is the biggest reason for high unemployment? Well than if a bad economy is not the biggest reason what is?

Ignorance, yes ignorance, I did not say stupidity I said ignorance, is the biggest reason other than a bad economy for lousy unemployment figures and reality.

Ignorance of what?, One might ask-good question! Ignorance of how to do an effective job search based on what really works.

Answering want ads, regardless of where you find them, and by that I mean anywhere on the Internet and in any newspapers that still exist, is not the most effective way of job search; in fact it has proven itself time after time to be absolutely the worst way of finding meaningful work. The statisticians will tell you that answering one adds only works maximally about 10% of the time. Well why is that?

The answer is that answering want ads is an exercise in "counter human nature" reality. The reason the want that appeared in the first place is that the organization that is doing the hiring did not ALREADY KNOW OF SOMEONE! What am I saying here?

People hire people they already know and trust. That is what I'm trying to say. That is basic human nature. Human nature means things that are instinctive within the human animal, the human psyche, things that were there with in you, however they got there before you were born. How might that express itself?

One people in any walk of life have some hiring to do regardless of what the rules and regulations and restrictions and laws say because of human nature they will start to talk among themselves and ask questions like: "Is there anyone we can promote or transfer to do this job?" Maybe people will say things like: "who do you know or do you know of anyone who could do this?" That is what people do! Well what does this mean?

It means that if you're really serious about finding a job you have to understand that NETWORKING is King! Next week I'll explain why.

Job Search is like a Algebra Equation...Sort Of!

Do you remember your algebra? Well, actually all I remember is that it helps when solving a algebra equation to "balance" both sides. Now with algebra I really don't remember how to do it. But with job search I do not only remember, I have taught it to thousands of college students over the last 29 years.

I'd be happy to explain it to you as well if your interested...for free...in bits and pieces....as you read this blog.

Let me leave with a question for you...I'll give you my take in the next post.

Do you really think the reason the unemployment figures are so high is because of a bad economy?