The buzz is all about social media and the job search right now.  Self-Help articles which include lists of what to do, what not to do are everywhere you turn on the internet.  Maybe it's because people who are out of work are at home on the computer doing the research, which is great.  However, it takes practice becoming a social media guru and initially, job seekers should proceed with caution, use common sense, and not go into a frenzy connecting with just anyone. 

With sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter there is a value assigned to how many contacts a person has.  The more friends, contacts, and followers a person has, the more connected they are, the larger their network is, and one could conclude, the quicker they will find a job. It is true that in this competitive job market, hiring managers prefer referrals. A stat I hear often is 85% of all hires have an inside connection.  It is simple.  Referrals are a trusted source of quality employees.

At the Birmingham Recruiters Network luncheon yesterday, with Kris Dunn as our speaker, this was precisely our topic.  Do people in your professional network with more contacts prove to be a more valuable resource? For the purposes of this article, does a job seeker with a larger network really land a job more quickly?

As you build your online network, of course you want to add connections, but think about who is a good contact for you.  Get personal and ask how you can provide assistance to their business as well.  This will increase your network and your value.  As a job seeker, you need to be willing to share information to others, which will increase your street cred on the flip side.  Make people want to connect with you too.

In this case as a job seeker, it all comes down to the quality of your network.  When I started my career with a global staffing company in Atlanta, this was one of the first exercises we did in sales management training.  The class was told they had 15 minutes to go and meet people in the room.  When time was up, the trainer asked who had gathered the most names.  One enthusiastic go-getter raised his hand, confident that he demonstrated his keen sales ability, and he was ready to talk about how he worked the room with style.  However, when the trainer asked him questions about the people he met, he was unable to share any additional information or shared qualities he had with his list of names. It was the people who collected fewer names, but took the time to have conversations with the others they met who were the real winners.  The winners had established a little rapport on the front end, which laid the ground work for a better, more valuable contact. 

Social Media is the same drill.  Don't make it all about numbers because that is all it will be... just names and numbers. Make it personal because people hire people they know.  Now pick up the phone and call some of your friends, contacts and followers.  Ask what you can do for them.

Happy Hunting!
Leigh