I was recently asked how much time a candidate should spend networking vs focusing on online job submissions. Being that this is such a relevant topic to job seekers I wanted to share my insight.
90% of someone’s efforts should go toward networking vs. online job submissions.
It is far more effective to network and be referred for a position by an employee of the company you are applying at, then applying blindly online through a company’s Applicant Tracking System. I refer to Applicant Tracking systems as the ‘black hole’. Often times, the resumes submitted do not even get reviewed by a human; they are scanned by the computer for key words and rejected if not a match. This leaves you with too many unknowns. Why you weren’t selected for an interview? What skills are missing from your resume?
Leveraging your network is the most effective way to find a new job. It’s all about who you know. Your referral can vouch for you and put in a good word on your behalf. They can also help you by delivering your resume directly to the hiring manager, bypassing the ‘black hole’. This increases your chances of getting an interview for the job.
Tell everyone you know you are looking for a new job. You could mention it in a casual conversation or send out a crafted email to your network. It is human nature to want to help others and the people you know will want to help introduce you to people they know, or better yet, submit you as a referral for a position at the company they work for.
Often times employees are incentivized by referring candidates they think will be great for their company. A connection like this provides the company a higher comfort level, a familiarity, that they don’t have with someone they do not know. In some of the largest companies in the world, employee referrals are valued so greatly their internal corporate recruiters must review those applicants in a specified number of days. Become a referral for every job you apply to and your interviews will increase!
Hope you find this information helpful!
If you would like more tips and tricks related to networking, interviewing and landing a job you LOVE, check out this resource I created for you HERE
Cheers,
Renee