Your Network
After entering the professional life I have realized how important role a good professional network can play in your career. Be it professional guidance, getting updates on industry trends or just about anything related to your career your network can do wonders for you.
Numerous discussions have been carried out on Zumbeel regarding the role of references in job hunts. It was unanimously accepted that people with good references usually find it easy to move around in the industry.
Here is a reality check:
Eighty percent of the jobs worldwide are filled through referrals and word of mouth (read networking).
So whether you like it or not your network is as important as your career itself. Generally people tend to have negative vibes as soon as they hear that ABC person has been hired on reference.
References are mainly of two types.
1) A genuinely deserving candidate is referred by someone for a recommendation; this type of reference is usually taken as positive, because the credibility of the referral as well as of reference is on the line. Rest assured that no one likes to loose credibility for some unjust recommendations.
2) A highly undeserving candidate not only lands an interview but also ends up grabbing the job because his chacha, mama, uncle etc are in a good position and tare able to influence the hiring.
The problem starts when usually references of the second type corrode the real importance of networking. It’s been my personal experience that people sincerely looking to network are suspected as job seekers and not someone genuinely interested in expanding his/her network base.
Many juniors ask me as to what they should do when they enter their university final year. My answer is that your end term goal should be that you have around 6-10 people who can recommend your achievements to someone. Sometimes I wish I had known this reality a bit early but it’s never too late.
Here are some ways to network: (courtesy http://www.zumbeel.net/career/networking.php)
Make a list of all the people you know e.g. your school friends, your college friends, your university friends, your relatives, your exiting colleagues, your former colleagues, your neighbours, doctors, lawyers etc. Now contact these people and ask them weather they know anybody in the relevant industry and if they do would they able to help you out in contacting them.
Once you have the contact details then arrange a meeting. Please make sure your deal with this meeting professionally.
Remember that when requesting for networking, job requests should be right at the bottom of your agenda. If you are only interested in getting a job then probably you don’t realize the potential your network can do.
We live in world of people and in order to do anything in the world you need to know people.
Just to sum it off.
It’s not what you know but who you know that makes the difference.
So get up and start knowing people around you.
Happy networking………
Until next time,
Haris
7 Responses to “Your Network”
By kjiqbal on Oct 12, 2008 | Reply
Awesome blog…. I highly appreciate your initiative to present the right perspective of Networking. I hope this blog will be very informative to ALL.
Best Regards,
By Daniyal Bin Muzaffar on Oct 13, 2008 | Reply
Exactly.. I agree with you. Especially your second type of reference. This blog really made me smile :-). Idea of connecting people and/or making networking is absolutely perfect.
I wish I never loose my network
By Arslan Rana on Oct 13, 2008 | Reply
Very nice article,delivered what i always had in my mind and created a valid difference between the two sets of referrals.
Referral 1) are also important for managers when you have A,B,C,and D personnel with the same set of qualification,skill set and attitude vying for a single slot; making a decision difficult over the post selection.However a good referral tilts the balance in the favor.
2) type of referrals are generally the ‘backdoor-push-slot’ which neither perform at the interview or sometimes don’t even go through the screening of interview, but manage to get in(as mostly seen in Pakistan referred to as a “pawwa”).Though, it should always be remembered that such people can also find themselves in a thick soup when they find their jobs difficult to manage with lots of tension over work place.(consider a pure commerce graduate doing programming work in a software programming firm!)
By Muhammad Zaid-ur Rehman on Oct 13, 2008 | Reply
that’s really great post, which broaden my mind how to make and specially utilize the references[networking] to get a job.
before this i was confused how to use them. i felt guilty to ask someone, but the professional and elite style of utilizing these, know now.
keep such postings up for new professionals, new comers and such confused persons.
IT REWARDS………
JazakALLAH khair kaseeren Brother Haris hasan.
By Naveed on Oct 14, 2008 | Reply
nice approach….
By Haris Hassan on Oct 14, 2008 | Reply
One of the comment on my personal email.
The value of networking is huge. If properly done, leads to a broad group of supportive people not just to find jobs but solutions, referrals, help and a wide variety of positive experiences.
But Networking has to be done in a subtle fashion and with great patience. Every person you know, have known or will know is of significance. Don’t ever forget it. I have seen short sighted behavior so many times that it saddens me. People who feel used, are not going to be happy with you and will not be there when you need them most. I have seen people not answering phones, sms’s or e-mails once they thought they had gained what was needed. But found to their detriment this support system missing when they needed them most.
Don’t network just to get a job or a referral but to genuinely to make friends – professional or personal it is an enriching experience and adds great value to ones character and personality.
Salman: networking since 40 years!
By Haris Hassan on Oct 14, 2008 | Reply
One more response
and this is Great Circle of life, what i learnt, as like a Loop, it comes back again, what others think its useless. No matter what the person is, its Intention, that’s it.
Oops may be too stupid philosophic thing
Bilal