Great Networking Sources for Job Leads

The book Cracking The Hidden Job Market: How to Find Opportunity in Any Economy lists great sources for job leads (or, in other words, ways you can network when looking for a job), starting with what they call "raw" (not developed specifically, but potentially have positions) leads as follows:

• Your existing job targets
• Job postings
• Gossip
• The business news
• Job fairs
• Search engine expeditions (for example: "rapidly growing" PLUS name of your town)

Next they list online communities where you can get job leads:

• Online professional networks (such as LinkedIn)
• Online social networks (Facebook, Twitter)
• Special interest groups, blogs, listservs, news feeds
• Associations
• Alumni networks

They then list "real life" (in person) sources of job leads as follows:

• Church, synagogue, mosque, ashram
• Volunteer organizations
• Neighborhood watch, homeowners association, neighborhood business associations, basically any type of neighborhood-based organization
• Gym, swim club, tennis, country club
• Fraternal organizations from the Masons to E. Clampus Vitus to VFW
• Alumni clubs
• Political parties
• Activist organizations

And finally, they list what they call "highly productive resources" -- connections that have a good chance of leading you to a job/job lead/job search help:

• Former employers and colleagues
• Friends
• Family
• Friends of your family
• Families of your friends
• Alumni
• University center, faculty, key university staff

Several thoughts on this one:

• Your list of places to network is much broader than most people realize. Once you look at all of these and place your specific contacts next to them, you should have a HUGE list to start working on (unless you're a hermit, of course.) ;-)
• The book recommends having 100 raw leads at all times. Initially, this seemed almost impossible to do, but now that we see these lists, it's looking a lot more do-able.
• I continue to be amazed how often LinkedIn in put on these sorts of lists. Should using the service be part of any smart person's networking plan? (I ask because I'm not on it yet.)
• Personally, I love the idea of volunteering as a networking activity. You get to help others, get the benefit of doing something fulfilling, AND you make networking contacts. What's the downside? (BTW, I found my current job by volunteering.)

Are there any groups they left out in their lists? Any sources you think might be good additions?

Comments

[Everyday Tips]

I agree that volunteering is a great way to network, as is being a part of professional organizations.

Overall, I think you need to keep all doors open at all times. Don't burn bridges, and always return phone calls from headhunters and such. You never know what opportunity is waiting for you.

[Walden]

I agree with the previous poster, don't forget recruiters and headhunters! A trustworthy recruiter can be a great asset in your job search.

[Kim D.]

As for LinkedIn, I think that it is a great way to keep track of all your contacts on a professional basis. As you go through life, keep adding people and letting them know what is going on. I could definitely see how having a good network on LinkedIn could help you find a new position. This week, I posted a blurb about a position that a friend's company has but isn't posting to a job board. Now, all of my contacts know that I have a lead on a potential job that they otherwise would not know about.

It is also a good place to have a public resume and another place on the web that potential employers can find you. LinkedIn also tends to place high in Google searches, so it is one more page that has your name in a way that you can control. My company put an ad out for a position recently; we rejected one resume that looked promising because of what we read on the internet about him.

[Jodi]

Great article. There are so many leads out there -- serious job hunters need to explore all their options.