The Weekly Roundup: Networking Like a Pro

Not too long ago I saw a job that called my name. I knew immediately that I was ready to fire all weapons and empty the arsenal to go after the position. I applied online. I scoured LinkedIn and found someone on the inside who could get my resume to the right people. Within a few days I was on the phone with the recruiter. A week later I went in and met with a couple more people.

Somewhere in the process I got an auto-generated rejection letter from the website. Clearly, the two sides do not compute. The process is still underway and I am still in the running.

This situation perfectly illustrates the absolute necessity of networking as a key pillar of your job search. The website shut me down, but I knew someone who knew someone who knew the right person. It was only through relationships that I even got a shot at the job. If you are relying solely on applying to jobs through websites you are missing a huge piece of the strategy required to find your next job.