This is the 10th post in our Women of HR series focusing on career. Read along, consider the advice and we invite you to comment with insights of your own.
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of network. It’s amazing how powerful a network can be.
Since as far back as I can remember, I’ve always invested time in building my network and helping people around me. For some lucky reason, networking came natural to me and I started networking early on in my career and even as a student. Today, I realize how much I’ve accomplished by building my network. After 15-20 years, my network has become powerful
I have some great stories, related to finding a job, which demonstrates the power of a network:
My Dream Job
I decided, 2 ½ years ago, that I didn’t want to be a consultant anymore. I missed working with a team. I made a list of my ideal job: technology company, small to medium business (SMB) size and ideally near my home. So I started researching on Google and found this amazing SMB techno company not even a mile from my home.
After more research, I found out on LinkedIn that this guy I’d just helped preparing his resume was linked to one of the co-founders of this company. There is a lot of luck and great timing in my story but because of my network, I found an easy way to introduce myself to this company and I’ve been working there since.
I LOVE my job. Thank you to my friendly network.
Helping Others Find Their Dream Jobs
Recently, because of my network, I helped 2 friends find their dream jobs.
The first friend called me up to get some feedback on her resume. She was starting to search for a new job as a web coordinator and wasn’t sure her resume gave the right impression. After hanging up with her, about 10 minutes later, 2 guys came in our office to look at our office space (our offices are moving to a bigger space) and I realized that one of the guys is someone I knew from school. So we start chatting and they explain to me what business they are in … yes, web sites development. My friend would be the perfect match for them so I tell them about her. They agreed to meet her and they hired her!
The second friend had been looking for an HR job for around 6 months. She was taking her time because it was important for her to find the right fit. So I find myself one morning in a networking event and I’m talking with someone I’ve met a few times before. We work in the same industry and are both in HR. He shares with me the fact that he needs to hire someone in HR but he finds it challenging to find the right person. After discussing the profile he’s looking for, I tell him about my friend whom I think would be a great fit for his job. When I tell him her name, he realizes that she applied for his open position and they where meeting a few days later for an interview. He hired her!
So what do these stories have in common?
Amazing timing and luck for sure, but more than that, they each reflect the power of a network. In competition for jobs today, it makes a difference if you are recommended or referred by someone the company already trusts. You can get your dream job because of your network – because you are connected with someone the company already trusts.
Read that again. Powerful!
Never, never neglect your network because you never know when it will have such a powerful impact on your life.
Photo credit iStockphoto
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7 Comments
Wow! Thank you! I permanently needed to write on my blog something like that. Can I take a fragment of your post to my blog?
very good post thnx for the sharing
[…] Read that again. That is powerful! Never, never neglect your network because you never know when it will have such a powerful impact on your life. Original source article: Women of HR — We’ve got your back […]
[…] Read that again. That is powerful! Never, never neglect your network because you never know when it will have such a powerful impact on your life. Read the source article at Women of HR — We’ve got your back […]
Thank you Andrea for your great feedback! And thank you Judy for sharing your story! Another great example of the power of the network…:-)
Sophie, congratulations to you on using your network to help others and yourself! I have a story about the power of networking that I would like to share.
I do career coaching and when my older daughter, Becca, was about to graduate from college she said, “Mom, I know that you will find me a job because you do that kind of work.” I told her that I would help but that she needed to do the work to find a job. In the end, she was right … I did find her a job!
Around the time that Becca graduated, I got a request to link in from my former boss. I linked in with him and we emailed back and forth and ended up talking on the phone to catch up. He asked me about my family and when I mentioned that Becca was graduating from college, he asked what her major was and where she wanted to live. He said that there was a job opening in his company in her field but it was not geographically where she wanted to live. So he offered to check in with the hiring manager to see if that person knew of any jobs in the areas that Becca wanted to be. Turns out that the hiring manager had a friend who had a job opening in Becca’s field and in the location she wanted to be. Becca followed up, had an interview, and was offered the job.
Networking is powerful. It is the number one way to find a job or get business. I am grateful to all those who I have networked with and always happy to return the favor!
Sophie,
I love this post, and don’t think it’s just coincidence and luck that you were able to help yourself and your friends. You obviously are networking with the intent of helping others and being of service. It makes a difference because people know you truly care about the right fit between person and job. Thanks for sharing!