31 F
Indianapolis
Thursday, March 28, 2024

The answer to your job search? – It may be in your phone contacts or Facebook page

More by this author

Indiana’s unemployment rate is very low. At 3.2 percent in May, it’s even lower than the national rate. For many Hoosiers, though, that figure doesn’t mean much. Despite the positive statistics, many Indiana residents are discouraged and find themselves underemployed, which means they work in jobs below their skill levels or only work in part-time positions. 

Applying scattershot to numerous jobs online is an approach many people take to improve their odds, but it’s rarely a successful one. Because of the ease of applying online, companies are often overwhelmed with applications, and it’s easy for applicants to get lost in the process. Even more frustrating, many larger companies now use algorithms to conduct their initial screenings — leaving it up to statistical computer formulas to search for the “best” candidates. While those algorithms can be very successful and save a lot of time (and, therefore, money) for companies, they can also inadvertently overlook very good candidates.  

So what are job-seekers to do when they don’t hear back from all those companies they’ve applied to? It’s easy to give up and blame the system, but the answer may be right next door. Or in your phone contacts. Or on your Facebook page. It’s all about networking.

Networking sometimes has a negative connotation; the term evokes images of people standing around at business conferences, handing out business cards to everyone they bump into. Networking to find a job can be much simpler and much more personal than that. And it’s not hard. It just involves talking to people you know.

Get the word out to your friends, relatives, church members, everyone you know. Let them know you are looking for a new job. Be specific about what you’d like to find and what your skills are. There’s a good chance someone you know may know someone at the exact company you really want to work for. But unless you have those conversations, you may never find that out.

Let me share the story of a friend to make my point: This individual saw a job post that interested him — one he knew he was qualified for. He immediately applied and heard nothing back. When he saw the same posting six months later, he applied again. And again, he heard nothing. Soon after that, he ran into a “friend of a friend” and learned this individual worked at the same company — in the same department — he had applied to. After a short discussion, the friend of a friend said, “We’re looking for someone just like you!” What online applications missed the personal connection achieved, and my friend was quickly hired for that job he had been trying, without luck, to apply for.

Certainly, there are more sophisticated ways to network. LinkedIn is a great example, although it’s generally only helpful to you if you focus on making connections with people you know. The CEO of a company may accept your invitation to connect, but it’s extremely unlikely that the connection will provide any meaningful interaction. What can be very helpful, though, is connecting with people you have interacted with on a more personal level (school, clubs, sport teams, etc.) You can use the messaging feature to reach out to those people and re-establish connections. You can also use the messaging feature to connect with recruiters at companies you’ve applied to.

In the end, successful job hunting often comes down to personal connections. Applicants with referrals will get more — and faster — attention, and they have a much better chance of getting hired. 

 

Elizabeth L. Malatestinic, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is a senior lecturer in human resource management at Indiana University Kelley School of Business at IUPUI.

- Advertisement -

Upcoming Online Townhalls

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest local news.

Stay connected

1FansLike
1FollowersFollow
1FollowersFollow
1SubscribersSubscribe

Related articles

Popular articles

Español + Translate »
Skip to content