I’m feeling a bit frustrated with some people. They’re out of work and struggling to land a job.
So, I asked, “Are you doing the networking activities I recommended every single day?”
They reply, “Well, no. Not really. I made some calls but stopped. But I’ve been applying for dozens of jobs every week! It’s not working!”
Yeah, no kidding. Of course, it isn’t working.
Did you think I was joking when I said cold applications are a waste of time?
When I always say you have to connect with people and find your inside connections and champions?
Okay, maybe you think I have some ulterior motive? Maybe you think I’m trying to persuade you to hire me for job search coaching.
Let me be very, very clear:
You Do Not Have to Pay Me a Single $ to Use Networking to Land a Job!!!!!
As a matter of fact, if you use this strategy (the one I’ve been hammering home for almost eight years now), you can land a job without the help of any coach!
It’s how I landed all my tech jobs over almost 20 years. You know, that amazing job I had at Apple that set my career up for life? Yeah, like that.
If you still don’t believe me, let me share a recent post from someone who used networking to land a job in this terrible market. This is an independent 3rd party. They are not my client or even a close friend. I don’t really know them.
Here we go. Pay attention to what they were doing every day, but pay more attention to what actually happened and how they actually landed some interviews.
They applied to 147 jobs, but they only landed 2 interviews! And—drumroll, please—those interviews happened because they knew someone inside the company.
“The only places I interviewed for (there were 2) were both because I knew someone who was able to give my resume to a live person and say, hire my friend.”
Folks, I wish getting a job in this economy was easy, but it is not. I wish you could simply apply online, get lots of interviews, and land a sweet job offer. But 99.9% of you will not.
If you are seriously looking for a job, make finding a new job your full-time job.
Start connecting with people in your network every single day.
Meet with 3-4 people every single day.
Ask each person, “Is there anyone else you’d recommend I meet? Can you introduce me to them?”
Keep doing this until you start discovering those opportunities no one else knows about—yet.
I’m Larry Cornett, a Freedom Coach who works with you to optimize your career, business, and life. My mission is to help you become a more "Invincible You" so you can live your life on your terms instead of being controlled by someone else's rules. I live in Northern California near Lake Tahoe with my wife and our Great Dane.