How to use networking to expand your job search and give yourself every opportunity of career progression…

When it comes to your career, networking is a very powerful tool for building your own book of business contacts. It’s an avenue to expand your job search and a way to give yourself every opportunity of career progression.

Michael Page International regularly hosts candidate and client networking events which provide an excellent forum for meeting other professionals and prospective employers in your industry.

Job networking tips:

• Clarify your goals – jot down on paper your career ambitions. Be specific about your goals and add the names of a few companies for which you might like to work.
• Brainstorm contacts – make a list of all of your current contacts and keep an open mind in terms of the people you think could help you. Someone in a completely unrelated field might know of a person with whom they could connect you.
• The ‘Elevator Pitch’ – this is the 90-second answer to the question, ‘Tell me about yourself.’ Developing your own pitch will assist you when making cold calls or even in casual conversation at a party.
• Accept all invitations – you cannot network without adding new faces to the mix, so why not enjoy yourself while doing it? It is perfectly acceptable in a casual environment to mention you are in the market for a new position.
• Follow up and maintain contact – when you make a contact, always request a business card then follow up with a thank you note including specifics on your conversation and how they were helpful to you. Most importantly, make sure you stay in touch so that you are on their radar when an opportunity arises.