On The Job
Why Networking is Overrated
Many job searchers should network less and answer ads more.
By Marty Nemko, Contributing Columnist, Kiplinger.com
April 17, 2008
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What three words of advice are job seekers most often given? Network, network, network!
Problem is, increasingly, that's bad advice.
The percentage of people who landed their jobs by networking has declined from 70% in the 1970s to under 60% today. But that's not the main reason that advice is bad for you. Most of that 60% have large, well-connected networks, and are great at networking. I'll bet you don't -- especially you new college grads. If you did, you probably wouldn't be reading this job-search advice column.
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If you don't have a great network and dislike schmoozing, you'll land a job faster if you devote most of your job search time to writing top-of-the-pile applications for well-suited job openings. How do you do that?
Finding job ads that fit
In the old days, you'd try to find on-target want ads by scouring the newspaper. In the less old days, you'd visit Monster.com or Craigslist.org. Today, there's a better way: job-search engines. The three major ones are Indeed.com, Simplyhired.com, and Jobster.com.
They work similarly: You enter keywords and a geographic location, and the job-search engine instantly screens millions of job ads on thousands of job sites, including, of course, Monster and Craigslist, plus thousands of employers' sites and hundreds of newspapers to find your target job openings.
Indeed.com, Simplyhired.com, and Jobster.com each cover somewhat different territory, so it's worth using each of them weekly until you're hired. It's also worth checking individual employers' websites that you're particularly excited about working for. For example, if you're interested in working for America's largest employer: the federal government, visit www.usajobs.gov. Also, unless you're sure the job-search engines cover your professional association's and local newspaper's job listings, check those too. The job-search engines might not crawl those sites or post the results often enough.
Rising to the top of the pile
First of all, don't waste your time applying for jobs you're not well qualified for. If the employer was willing to hire someone who lacked many of the job's requirements, he would have hired his wayward cousin.
If you do meet all or nearly all the job requirements, this cover letter greatly increases your chances of landing an interview:
Dear (Insert name of employer, or if necessary "Dear Hiring Manager"),
I was excited to see your job ad #4237B on Craigslist because I believe I'd enjoy it and I meet the requirements:
| JOB REQUIREMENTS | HOW I MEET THE REQUIREMENT |
| 1. Insert requirement #1 | How you meet #1 |
| 2. Insert requirement #2 | How you meet #2 |
| 3. Insert requirement #3 | How you meet #3 |
| Continue until you've covered all the major requirements. |
Of course, there's more to me than I can convey in a cover letter. For example, people say they really enjoy working with me. So, I hope you'll choose to interview me.
Sincerely,
Joe Jobseeker
Another winning way to a job
If you make a good first impression and can think on your feet, in addition to answering ads, contact employers who are not advertising a job opening. Make a list of 25 employers you'd like to work for, and phone or send each an email like this:
Dear (Insert employer's name),
I'm a recent graduate of (insert alma mater, or your most recent job if it's more impressive than your alma mater).
I've read a fair amount about your organization and am impressed. (Insert one or two specifics.)
I'm wondering if you might be willing to meet briefly with me to see if I might be a suitable employee for you, or simply to offer me some advice as to where I should turn.
Here are a few highlights of my background:
Insert three one-line bullets, each of which is likely to impress the reader.
Hoping to hear from you,
Sincerely,
Jane Jobseeker
The plan
Make a goal to answer 25 on-target ads and to contact 20 employers who are not advertising a job opening. I'll bet if you do that, you'll land a job much faster than someone who followed the standard exhortation to network, network, network!
Marty Nemko (bio) is a career coach and author of Cool Careers for Dummies.
Reader Comments (14)
Posted by: nelly at 04/17/2008 10:58:15 AM
I've enjoyed this column very much and I have learned even more. Thanks so much.
Posted by: Dan S. at 04/17/2008 11:29:10 AM
I couldn't disagree more with your advice. I have never obtained a job through any other means except a personal referral. Additionally, personal referrels are a top recruiting tool that companies use to land top quality candidates. Your advice works for new grads who have no choice, but even new grads can use their parent's network. Everyone should be encouraged to develop networking skills instead of dismissing them.
Posted by: Jill at 04/17/2008 01:30:59 PM
I agree that in many cases networking is overrated; the exception will be if you are located in an area that hires based on "Who You Know" rather than qualifications...
Posted by: Connie at 04/17/2008 02:57:44 PM
..I use the Cover Letter sample mentioned above all the time (changing out some key wording, of course)and it works. I have never received a job offer from someone who I network with. I have obtained all my positions from newspaper and craiglist postings and personal company research. I have developed experience working in the non profit field for approximately 4 years and enjoy it although my first career choice and major in college was computers.
Posted by: Tony M at 04/17/2008 07:15:55 PM
This was a good column offering very good advice. I'm 60 years old; I entered the workforce as a college grad in 1968. With eight job changes in that time--all management level jobs--only one of those jobs was obtained by personal referral. Two came via recruiters, and the rest were answering adverts. I changed jobs three times by answering ads in Wall Street Journal. My secret was a well polished resume and combined with spending time digging up adverts and targeting those that my background was well suited to with a resume and a targeted cover letter. I do believe in networking, but ads have worked very well for me for 40 years, as of 2007, they still do. I obtained a good job with a good company last summer by answering a Craig's List job ad.
Posted by: david at 04/17/2008 08:29:52 PM
You need to network as much as you can. I just got an offer - wouldn't have gotten the offer without networking.
Posted by: TJ at 04/18/2008 01:59:52 PM
Btw, on SimplyHired.com you can search job listings and utilize your network at the same time. There's an "in" button that let's you see who in your LinkedIn network works at each company.
Posted by: Jackie at 04/18/2008 02:38:19 PM
I wonder if this method works for all types of careers? I'm in media, and I know that most the jobs that are advertised are entry level--not my level. I've been hunting for 11 months in 4 cities with 0 success.
Posted by: gjs at 04/20/2008 09:36:17 AM
If there was ever a letter in the stacks of interviews I read during recruiting that read like the sample letters above, I would throw it out. Why? Too many I's. We want a team player...
Posted by: nunya at 04/20/2008 09:49:16 PM
I found out the hard way that networking can be overrated. Networking isn't for everyone, just as the article suggests. I have never gotten a job through networking or using people I know, whether it was a family member or alumni from my school. Furthermore, being that I'm really the first in my family to go to law school, how would my parents have any sort of network in that area?...Most people I know who could be of help never seem very willing to do more than give very general advice or answer questions unless you just come right out and ask if they'll help you with so-&-so employer, so I get much farther by just pounding the pavement and using those people as references. Cover letter #1 works for me as long as I'm pretty spot-on qualified for the job. Sometimes, you also have to do other things, such as go where the jobs are. If you live in an area with a bad economy or very little opportunities in the field you're interested in, whether you network, respond to ads or contact companies out of the blue, you're probably not going to get anywhere. Sorry, but (Marty) Nemko is pretty accurate.
Posted by: Steve at 04/24/2008 10:40:27 AM
...Anyone that believes networking is overrated is either in a family owned business or doesn't have "people" skills to begin with. Answering more ads will get you a job faster, such as, "May I take your order please" or "Welcome to Walmart"....Networking opens up the door to jobs that the ad seeker never sees. The key to landing any good paying job is in the interview. You can answer hundreds of ads and only get one interview. Networking is a form of interviewing...
Posted by: Rachel at 04/29/2008 04:49:18 AM
There are new matching sites like www.realmatch.com and www.thejobnetwork.com that actually match each peron's skills to available jobs.
Posted by: Ed at 04/29/2008 01:01:48 PM
I think you have to work the networking as much as you can AND answer ads. You never know where the job opportunity will come from.
Posted by: North Jersey at 06/24/2009 06:15:41 PM
Networking is overrated and out dated. These tips on how to find a job by AOL are also outdated. Employers do not want to read a two page resume biography, one page is sufficient in todays market. If you now use Craigs List...don't trust this site for a good job, unless they reveal the name of the company & company e-mail address or fax in their ad. I too am out of work for three months and respond to every ad daily that fits my profile. I do believe sending your resume to as many companies that are not advertising opens some windows of opportunity and exploring a home business maybe (are) today's only real networks.