The majority of the best jobs are never advertised. For many job seekers, this can pose a problem. If job opportunities cannot be found in newspaper classifieds or on some job board, how do you apply for jobs that aren’t advertised?

Start with people you know and meet those who might have the insight to your job search. You talk to people who know people who may be able to help you out. You chat it up with strangers at parties, get-togethers, informal dinners wherever you can get a chance to congregate with others. You can cold call people who you have read about in the newspaper, write letters to prominent community or business leaders, and utilize second- and third-level social media contacts. Cultivate your contacts; build professional relationships

Brainstorm for Contacts
Think of everyone who could possibly be a contact. Don’t just talk to people who you know could clearly help you out. There are friendly, accessible people in unrelated fields who often have leads that are happy to share with you. People through work or volunteer activities can have access to a diverse crowd that can be extremely helpful, for example:
Family – Friends – Relatives – Neighbors - Professors – Alumni – Former Employees - Former co-workers – Public Relations officials – Politicians – Journalists - Business execs – Non-Profit Directors – Physicians – Hair Dressers – Prominent Community members – Members of Professional organizations or various clubs

Tried and True Places to Network
Class reunions – Parties – Fundraisers – Business Conferences – Conventions – Club Meetings – Alumni associations – Internet list-servers – Volunteer opportunities – Continuing Education classes

New Places to Network
Social media sites, i.e. LinkedIn - Twitter - Facebook - blogs - and many more. Use these wisely, as potential employers will most likely research you on these, too. In the Spokane and surrounding area, try LaunchPadINW.com for online and in-person events, designed for professional networking, but includes fun things, too.

Be Prepared
You should be honest and relaxed, but you should not just wing it. You should approach opportunities with a game plan. Before you walk into a conference, dinner party, or group event, do your homework. Find out who will be there, or do your best to find your target audience. When you have a list of potential contacts thoroughly research their work and backgrounds then make up questions and conversational statements that reflect your research. Think of what your goals are and what information you want to walk away with. What do you want to convey to the people you meet? Be flexible and look for opportunities you were not anticipating

There are No Boundaries
You can expect to walk away with some business cards at the obvious places, but often it’s the non-obvious places that surprise us; the adjacent treadmill at the gym, someone in the grocery store line, someone who sits next to you on an airplane, someone under the hairdryer next to you. Don’t let these opportunities pass you by. A casual exchange like this can turn into a pivotal moment in your career path. Don’t hesitate to network with someone who has no obvious connection to your ambitions; he or she may be able to give you a job lead in your career field

Follow Up
After you’ve had a good contact, write a thank you note and refer to specific helpful advice. Additionally, keep in touch with your contacts; if you stay on their radar screens they won’t be able to forget you if an opportunity comes up. And if you get a job, tell them thank you again if it was them who helped

What Goes Around Comes Around
Treat others with respect; call and write back people who contact you; make yourself available to others - and you will get the sme in return more often than not.  The higher up you climb in the professional world, you find that everyone seems to know everyone else, so if you’re impolite, condescending, or disposed to burning bridges, you will face many roadblocks. If you treat them with kindness and respect now, they will treat you the same later

Make it Easy for Your Contacts
Whoever you call or talk to, make it as easy as possible for them to help you. Explain what you specifically want, and ask detail-oriented questions, e.g., I’m looking for a personnel job with the U.S. Government, do you know anybody who works in DoD personnel? May I have their number? May I use your name when I introduce myself to them. Solicit career tips and advice from contacts. Most people like to talk about themselves. By asking them for insight from their personal experiences and successes, they will feel important and respected

Stay Organized
Keep a record of your networking. Whether you do this in your planner, notebook, or on your computer, it’s important to keep track of your contacts. Make sure your system has plenty of room for contacts’ names, addresses, e-mails, phone numbers, companies, job titles, how you met them, and subsequent conversations you have with them

Networking is a Lifetime Activity
Don't drop everyone as soon as you find a job! Networking is about more than finding a job vacancy. Networking helps you stay current on what's going on in your career field - what the trends are, new technology, company mergers, who's moving and into what new position.  It helps you stay knowledgeable and competitive in your field. It also keeps you connected for when you are in the job market again or when you are ready for a promotion or transfer - and for most of us, that is every few years! 

Informational Interview 
Another useful tool is job search, or in job research, is the Informational Interview.  To read more about it, select Informational Interview from the menu at the left.

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