- Job Search Tip of the Week, by Brian Krueger, author of "College Grad Job Hunter," the #1 book for entry level job search:
"Network Intelligence"
Networking is often considered a less than noble activity that is reserved for only the most desperate in their job search. Yet nothing could be (or should be) further from the truth. Networking is truly one of the most effective and efficient activities in finding your first position.
The reality of the job market is that many positions are never advertised, never recruited for, never made known outside of the organization. Yet they continue to be filled. How? By referral. By referral of someone internal, external, or the "who-do-you-know" method of job search. Networking.
Let's understand some of the dynamics behind networking by looking at a practical case example:
Entry level hiring within our company is usually planned a full eight to twelve months in advance of the actual hire date. The first persons made aware of our entry level hiring needs are our local management team. Planning for entry level hiring is part of our annual strategic planning process, and the very first step toward potentially filling the positions comes from internal recommendations from our local management staff. The process goes to the next level when we announce the potential hiring needs to all of our local employees. Next level is a request to our area office. Then a request to corporate, each time seeking qualified candidates that may be "already in the pipeline." If we have not yet identified potential candidates for the positions, we will integrate the positions into our on-campus hiring process. And no, we will never advertise the positions. And college students who have tapped into our internal network often gain a job offer before we even begin our on-campus interviewing.
The key driver beyind the internal referrals is our Employee Referral Program. Our company, like other large employers, pays a monetary bonus (often several thousand dollars) for employee referrals who are hired. Money is a very effective motivator to drive employee referrals.
The "who-do-you-know" network is alive and functioning quite well, thank you, in the employment marketplace.
Yet most college students do not consider themselves to be very well plugged-in when it comes to networking. "After all, who do I know that can give me a job?" Probably no one. But networking is NOT about first level contacts. The key to effective networking is what I call "The Ripple Effect." Simply stated, The Ripple Effect is similar to what happens when you toss a stone into a pond. The first ripple is the largest ripple, but it is the second and third ripples that cover the greater amount of area. The more stones that break the surface, the greater the amount of the pond that is filled with your ripples. Moral to the story: if you want to give yourself the opportunity to make a ripple in the employment world, you are going to have to toss a few stones into the pond. Otherwise you probably will not even break the surface.
In building your job search network, you will need to develop a list of potential network contacts. Don't worry about whether they are personally responsible for hiring. It's not who they are, it's who they know.
Do you know of someone who can benefit from the information in this newsletter? Simply forward this e-mail to them and tell them to subscribe at http://www.CollegeGrad.com/newsletter. Thanks for spreading the good word!
There are at least two other entry level Web sites that offer books on job searching, proclaming that they will tell you everything you need to know about entry level job search.
However, there is a very important point about these books they don't mention up front: they cost money.
At CollegeGrad.com, we give you two things they don't:
1. The #1 entry level job search book ("College Grad Job Hunter").
2. It's free.
It's that simple. So don't buy the hype. Read the real information you need for FREE:
Don't ever pay for books or reports or resources of lower quality when you can access the very best quality information for free.
P.S. Yes, you can buy "College Grad Job Hunter" in hardcopy format as well at Amazon.com for $15 (actually, 30% off that price), but the online version is better. Why? Because the version at Amazon.com (the 2003 edition) is being continually updated at CollegeGrad.com. So the most current version of the book is actually the online, free version.
- Sponsor: Reduce Your Student Loan Payments AND Lock-in Rates as Low as 2.25%!
If you currently have student loans to payoff, you will want to pay attention to this news. Interest rates have come down considerably in the past couple of years, and you now have an opportunity to lock-in at a rate as low as 2.25%!
Now is the time to consolidate your student loans while rates are at their lowest. You can also reduce your student loan payments by as much as 54%!
To find out if you qualify, take the quick 60 Second Eligibility Test:
