Even though you may not see lots of advertised positions in your field of interest, there are jobs that are being filled all the time. The job market is healthy, but it can still be a real tough one if you don’t manage your search properly. Busy managers barely have the time to write up the formal job description required, so any effort they can spare by not posting jobs is valuable. That is why many will simply do their own networking to fill the job. They make a few calls, talk to some friends, and soon the word is out.

Writers have always referred to something called the “hidden job market,” which is what happens when so many roles are filled without being visible. To reach those hidden jobs you’ll need to be a part of the networking pipeline. Because these employers (or their representatives – HR or a headhunter) are doing their own networking, you need to be positioned at the other end of that process to be found. Both parties, you and your future boss, are essentially just talking to people about their need. I’ve found that luck always favors the two who know how to network well.

In my business, we refer to this as “reverse networking.” It makes your job much easier when you remember that there are people actively trying to find you, and all you must do is crank up the same process in reverse.

Are you just being yourself?

When I hear from job seekers, I often find that networking is seen as the nasty part of their hunt. They almost always comment that it takes some kind of innate flair for salesmanship. My belief is that this is a complete misconception. Reaching out when looking for work should be considered simply an extension of your normal, outgoing self. It’s only when you are not so outgoing than the process can indeed be uncomfortable.

“Networking is really a subtle skill,” one fellow panelist told the audience at a career seminar in which I participated. “Some people, notably those outgoing types, have the capacity to talk with many different people who can benefit them. It appears so easy for these few. For the rest of us, we must struggle. It’s easy to sound and feel like a rank amateur.”

This fellow, now a manager, had been asked how he landed his job at the great employer he works for. It turns out that he had been experienced a tough search initially. He’d been with a company that had a 30% layoff; it was unexpected, and he was suddenly out of work. It was frustrating to keep hearing the same advice from everyone he spoke with. “Get out there and network,” they would say. The problem was that no one backed up their advice with the specifics—it was all just the same word over and over.

As the Trade Show seminar turned to other subjects, I could see the frustration on the face of some in the audience. That’s because our “network, network, network” focus came with no detailed description of the process. Yes, it’s difficult sometimes to ask someone for a few minutes of their time to talk about your need for employment. But it’s not complicated; it simply requires getting comfortable through repetition. Job-seeking networking is an inherently simple process that can be difficult to carry to completion. It isn’t salesmanship that wins the day. It is genuineness, courtesy, and good listening skills!

Keys to your networking success

When I first considered this topic, I thought that I would include a series of scripts that would show you how a networking contact might proceed. But I didn’t like the way it turned out, because it’s a mistake for me to put words into your mouth. The whole job search process works best when you approach it as the “real you.” Scripted conversations only end up sounding stilted.

Instead of scripts, I’ve included a series of pointers in the side bar box, each of which provides you with a nugget on the specifics of the process.

Networking pointers

• Networking is not something that you do to someone. It could be defined as the process of establishing links of communication with others in a way that may prove to be mutually beneficial. Don’t make a call to someone and immediately launch into your need without checking to see if they are OK to talk for a few minutes. For example, “Susan, this is Jane Smith, QA manager over in Oakland. Do you have a brief moment for a question, or am I catching you at a bad time?” Adapt this as needed.
• Never push yourself into uninvited territory for more than 3 minutes. If you find that the personal chemistry is not working for you, cut it short and move on. Diligently respect the other party’s time and their right not to be disturbed if it isn’t a good time.
• This is not a selfish act done only when you need something from someone. It is a lifelong skill and an art as important as any other in the field of interpersonal communications. If you know how to write an internal memo or give a presentation to the team, you should know how to network. You’re asking advice, and the best way to get it might be to ask for your contact’s personal experiences. “John, we have very similar backgrounds. I’d love to know how you landed a post at XYZ. It seems like a great company to work for.”
• A call or meeting with a “Peer +2” networking contact is a good place to start. In other words, someone who is at your level and maybe even a couple of years advanced from where you are today—he or she is an ideal networking contact. They aren’t so senior that you quiver with anxiety in reaching out, and they’ll have empathy for you because they’ve likely been in the same situation you are in. That level of person is far more likely to be your eyes and ears in their organization than the Director of Research. Make a list of all the “Peer + 2” level people you know who you can reach out to, and only after that move into the ranks of the seriously senior staff.
• Remember to be an information seeker, and not be seen as a hardcore job seeker in a networking approach. If you get one piece of information on the company’s hiring process, that’s fine – congratulate yourself! Follow it up with an email and perhaps a copy of your resume. The worst thing you can do is to ask, “Are there any open positions on your team?” within the first moments of the call. That’s a great way to be referred to some lower-level person in HR. That question is fine after a few minutes of friendly discussion, however.
• LinkedIn.com can be fun and a good profile there is essential, but that is not true networking. It’s just a social media website and your presence there is fine. Go ahead and expand that LinkedIn database as best you can, but never spend more than 20-25% of your job-seeking time working LinkedIn. The rest of the time you need to be attending meetings, making phone calls, and generating as many person-to-person events as you can.
• Don’t forget that companies pay their employees a bounty for referred candidates that get hired. Your networking contact may end up getting some serious change as a result of your approach to him or her.

The job market always looks bad

When you are a job seeker, the job market always stinks, whether the economy is at 4% or 10% unemployment. That’s the strange part; talk to other job seekers and they will regale you with stories of interviews without offers or hundreds of networking contacts made. Don’t let that discourage you because no matter what degree and experience level you have under your belt, you’ll hear about the poor-to-mediocre job market awaiting you. And because you probably don’t have today’s lucky combination of whatever job gets filled immediately, you are going to need networking skills.

Networking obviously goes far beyond the telephone, but what a wonderful instrument that unappreciated little device becomes in the hands of someone who knows how to use it to gain access to information and make new contacts at the same time. Doing this work will set you up for success, because you just never know when you’ll get a call or an e-mail lead that sends you down the right path because of your hard work.

Dave Jensen is CEO and Founder of CTI Executive Search. He can be reached at (928) 274-2266 or via davejensen70@gmail.com.