The Most Powerful Networking Technique in the World

Technology has given job seekers the power to create a resume and send it out to hundreds of employers with the click of a button. This is both a blessing and a curse.

For one thing, it means that employers are more flooded with resumes than ever!

Also, the power to send out resumes with ease can give job seekers a false sense of empowerment. Yes, you are submitting a ton of resumes, but the question is, "Are you connecting with your audience?" "No" to this question means your resume may as well be digital fish food.

In fact sending massive numbers of resumes out is an extremely ineffective job search strategy. Even if you are an expert at interpreting job postings and great at tailoring your resume to the posting, you would still be lost in a sea of competing resume headings fonts and bullets.

(If you're sending out mass resumes, you're probably not even tailoring and therefore you're not doing much more than helping to exercise the employer's delete button.)

Here's where the most powerful networking technique in the universe comes to play. Networking, and specifically the technique of informational interviewing, helps in two different ways. First of all, it helps you gather information about the job allowing you to create a tailored resume and cover letter that will blow away any other applicants that haven't taken this step (i.e. almost everyone!). Secondly you become a known entity -not just another piece of paper screaming to be read.

Much like a journalist interviewing a person to get their story, an informational interview is a chance for you to get the story of the person in the job, industry and/or company you want to work in.

If only you knew someone in the job, industry and/or company you want to work in!! The fact is, you don't have to. What do people love to talk about more than anything? If you guessed, "themselves" you'd be correct! People love to talk about themselves so much in fact, that they're usually willing to do it with complete strangers.

Let's say for example that you want to apply for an Account Manager position at the bank. All you would need to do to arrange an informational interview would be to walk into the bank and ask to speak to an account manager. Since everyone who walks into a bank is a potential customer, you will be greeted and an account manager will soon appear before you. Poof, a second ago you didn't know anyone, now you do.

Let's walk through this example further to make sure that having secured the informational interview you now masterfully get the most out of it. Be honest with the person and tell them that you are there in the hopes of speaking with them for 10 - 15 minutes about their position with the bank (and stick to this timeline unless the interviewee is enjoying themselves so deeply that they wave their hand at your polite insistence that "surely you've taken enough of their valuable time".) Now, ask your questions, listen carefully and take notes!!

Ask your questions; for goodness sake don't blab on about yourself; you'll lose their attention and not learn anything. Listen carefully; imagine that every word that dribbles out of their mouth is gold. Take notes; collect the gold for later use.

At the end of the interview, ask the $10,000,000 question, "Is there anyone else you know who I should talk to?" Essentially you're asking them if you can tap into their network. If you don't ask they won't offer!

After the interview, follow up with a thank you note and put it in your calander to follow up with another email or note in a couple weeks. If you don't follow up, all you are getting out of the meeting is some information. If you do follow up you are building your network -which is what you need to do to get jobs, find customers, make friends, do any kind of business, live, breathe, die with peace of mind ( the latter not a guarantee but couldn't hurt).

Stay tuned for the next exciting blog post from Vanvouver Island University's MBA Internship team entitled: "Why Terrified Employers Look for Any Reason to Screen You Out"