ElectronicsWeb | How to Get Comfy Networking

Heather Stone writes a 'must-read' article on how to do better networking. Here's a brief excerpt:

Mac Carter feels like a hero. As a HR administrator for a nationwide retailer, he has opportunities to serve people in a variety of capacities. But never has he felt better about helping someone than he does now.

Mac has a daughter in the Girl Scouts and while at a function with her, he met the father of one of the other kids. They got to talking over cookies and punch, and Mac learned the man was an unemployed distribution manager. Knowing that his company was in need of distribution management, Mac gave him the name and phone number of a department head that had hiring authority with his company. Within days the man called to express his gratitude, explaining their situation was fast becoming desperate. It made Mac feel good to know that he helped this man to find a job and helped his company to meet a need at the same time.

This scenario is illustrative of a typical networking success. It demonstrates the power of having contacts. The rule of "who you know" has long been a key job search component. Statistics have consistently shown that over 80 percent of jobs never get advertised because they are filled through the vague technique of "networking."