Do you think introverts can’t network? That your Facebook profile isn’t important in your job search? Or that the best way to start off a networking conversation is by letting the person know you are looking for a job? Networking plays an important role in job searching yet many myths abound that keep people from making the effective connections that can significantly increase their chances of getting a job.
Recent studies have shown that job seekers who are referred are three to four times more likely to be hired (some studies even found referrals to be 14 times more likely to get the job!), so networking is time well spent.
Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center‘s Networking section offers solid advice for students and patrons who are conducting a job search (even people who already have a job will benefit, as this section shows). The 12 articles, written by Miriam Salpeter, an expert in networking and social media job-search practices, are straightforward and substantial, authoritative and accessible, and full of valuable tips that can readily be put into action. Learn what networking is (and what it isn’t), how to identify and understand exactly who is in your network, how to manage your online presence and use social media in a job search, how to make cold calls and handle follow-up, how to maintain and manage your network even after you have a job, and more.
To get started, users can simply click on “Launch Your Career” at the top of any page, select “Resumes, Cover Letters & Interviewing” from the drop-down menu, and then click on “Networking.”
Other recent updates to Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center include:
- New section of sample Referral Letters in the Cover Letters section
- More industry-specific résumé samples
- New Industry Overviews and Profession Profiles
The award-winning Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center is a comprehensive resource for career exploration and planning. This database includes 94 industry profiles; more than 3,000 profession profiles; a graduate, undergraduate, nursing, and vocational school finder and database; an internship and apprenticeship database; a financial aid database; step-by-step education and career-planning timelines; an extensive, 180-question career assessment; exclusive career profile video interviews; a sample résumé and cover letter database; and an industry associations and resources directory.
