The Quickest Way to Land That New Job
Have you been trying to find a more satisfying position or move up in your career? Lisa B. Marshall, aka The Public Speaker, will tell you the quickest way to land that great position.
Lisa B. Marshall
Let’s face it: it’s still a tough job market. For this reason, online job post sites just keep multiplying, taking advantage of the large number of job seekers. I am not suggesting that they’re cashing in on other people’s troubles. Not at all. For some people, these sites are very helpful. But those numbers are remarkably few. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2001 only 5% of job seekers got jobs by answering ads. And the market hasn’t changed much since.
So, what’s the best way? Career placement services or recruiters? A little better—about 23%. Contacting the company directly? 24%. So, what’s the BEST way to get a job? Believe it or not, it’s the good old-fashioned referral.
Nearly 50% of all NEW jobs are gotten through referrals. Add to that intra-company hiring and promotions, and it comes to a whopping 80%. Companies hire first from within, and only after a qualified candidate can’t be found do they generally go outside. But what hiring manager wouldn’t prefer someone referred to him or her rather than having to sift through a pile of resumes? Quintessential Careers quoted Martin Yate, author of the Knock em Dead series, “…employees who come to the company ‘known by us’ in some way are seen to be better hires and thought to get up to speed more quickly and stay with the company longer.” And Lou Adler, author of The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired, states, “being referred to a hiring manager by a trusted person is 50-100 times more likely to result in being interviewed and hired compared to submitting a resume to a posted job.” Even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the requested requirements, if you are recommended, whether from within the company or referred from without, you have a better chance.
So, what do you need to do to get these referrals? I’ve written about networking before, and it may be time to revisit it, because it’s one of your most important business skills. To build your network, first dip into your existing resources: friends, family, neighbors, acquaintances. People you went to school with. People you’ve worked with. If possible, make some kind of contact. At least connect with them on LinkedIn. Then start making new contacts: through networking events, chatting with people in different offices at work, or striking up a conversation in line at the coffee shop. You never know where a connection can lead. If you keep in mind that you may be able to help others in your network, too, then you’ve gotten the point of networking. It’s about building a web of people who help each other. And when one of them is looking for a job, others will be there to help.
This is Lisa B. Marshall, helping you to lead and influence. If you’d like to learn more about compelling communication, I invite you to read my bestselling books, Smart Talk and Ace Your Interview, and listen to my other podcast, Smart Talk. As always, your success is my business.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Lisa B. Marshall Lisa holds masters with duel degrees in interpersonal/intercultural communication and organizational communication. She’s the author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, as well as Ace Your Interview, Powerful Presenter, and Expert Presenter. Her work has been featured in CBS Money Watch, Ragan.com, Woman’s Day, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and many others. Her institutional clients include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Harvard University, NY Academy of Science, University of Pennsylvania, Genentech, and Roche.