Why Network?
Posted - 5 Nov 08
Labor and Worfforce Development
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=elwdterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Workers+and+Unions&L2=Job+Seekers&L3=Job+Hunting%3a+Information+to+Help+You&L4=Networking&sid=Elwd&b=terminalcontent&f=dcs_finding_job_why_network&csid=Elwd
Talking to or contacting people you know to find job leads is the most effective way to find a job. Because most of us find a job through personal contacts—people we already know such as our friends and family, our doctor, dentist, and people we meet when we go shopping and during our normal everyday lives. Personal contacts are also the people that our friends and family know.
Did you know that only a small percentage of jobs are advertised in local newspapers?
Did you know that only a small percentage of people who find a job get one from answering an advertisement in a local newspaper?
Did you know that most people who look for work go after advertised openings? Therefore, you increase your chances to be hired by networking with personal contacts to find unadvertised job leads.
Did you know that approximately 60% of job hunters find their new job with the help of friends, family members and acquaintances? So, you should be sure that as many people as possible know that you are looking for a job. That way they can help you find it faster!
| % Job Seekers Using the Method | Method | Effectiveness Rate* |
| 66.0% | Applied directly to employer | 47.7% |
| 50.8 | Asked friends about jobs where they work (Networking) | 22.1 |
| 41.8 | Asked friends about jobs elsewhere (Networking) | 11.9 |
| 28.4 | Asked relatives about jobs where they work (Networking) | 19.3 |
| 27.3 | Asked relatives about jobs elsewhere (Networking) | 7.4 |
| 45.9 | Answered local newspaper ads | 23.9 |
| 21.0 | Private employment agency | 24.2 |
| 12.5 | School placement office | 21.4 |
| 15.3 | Civil Service test | 12.5 |
| 10.4 | Asked teacher or professor (Networking) | 12.1 |
| 1.6 | Placed ad in local newspaper | 12.9 |
| 6.0 | Union hiring hall | 22.2 |
* A percentage obtained by dividing the number of job seekers who actually found work using the method by the total number of job seekers who tried to use that method, whether successfully or not.