Social Networking

Advertising jobs takes up a lot of time and money for employers, so a lot of jobs are filled by networking.

Networking is passing on information. You network every day. When you speak to a friend you might recommend a film, a hairdresser, or a good restaurant. Just as you network in your personal life, you can use your contacts to help with job hunting. It’s also a great way to find out about a particular career and whether you might like it.

You can network with anyone. You could start by talking to people you already know about their jobs and who they know.  Once you start, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the list of people you know gets bigger.

At first you might feel uncomfortable with the idea of making contacts to ‘get something from them’.  Try to look at networking as two-way – you offer your skills and abilities in return for support and information. A good way to start networking is to:

 

  • make a list of who you know, which positions they hold, and who they know;
  • identify your existing networks, like family, friends, acquaintances, referees;
  • have a clear idea of who you want to talk to and why you’re interested in the organisation;
  • research what a company does and what your contact’s role is;
  • think about what you can offer the organisation before approaching them;
  • keep a record of contacts listing everyone you’ve spoken to, their contact details and their positions;
  • chat to professionals on web forums or on social media.

Linkedin

This is what Linkedin say about their service which is well worth thinking about when looking for a job:

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with hundreds of millions of members, and growing rapidly.  Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.  We can help you:

Linkedin