Career networking is an effective method to land a desired job. By incorporating this concept in your daily work, it's possible to always be on a focused career path. Not only can it refine a job search, it can help you move up the ladder. Here are more reasons to explore the importance of generating career leads and work at home jobs through career networking.

1. How Generating Leads Through Social Media Can Help

Social media is often the easiest way to contact someone these days, since businesses have put a huge emphasis on social media engagement. LinkedIn is an excellent tool for networking within a profession and is more conducive of the popular social media networks for discussing business. You can learn from authorities about industry statistics and economic conditions that affect the job market. It allows you to study professional profiles and job backgrounds, which can generate questions that lead to conversations. Facebook and Twitter are more flexible for breaking the ice and generating leads. Simply by "liking" a profile, you can gain the attention of the professional that can answer more of your questions about certain jobs and career paths. Thought leaders like to share industry insights and want to know who they are connecting with.

2. Tips and Importance of Networking for Career Leads

One of the reasons career networking is so effective is that it allows you to draw from people who have helped you in past experiences. By going through your list of contacts and finding people who are knowledgeable about your desired industry, you can revisit them to learn new opportunities. These sources for career leads include:

  • past or present co-workers, colleagues, and supervisors
  • clients and customers from various jobs
  • business partners
  • college alumni and faculty members
  • personal acquaintances
  • people from church or local organizations
  • anyone in your circle who understands your career goals

There are many ways to utilize people from your past that can help point you in a positive career direction. Here are some essential tips for tapping into the existing network you've already built over time:

  1. focus on the right people who can make a difference
  2. be aware of the capabilities of people within your network
  3. stay in touch with key people in your network
  4. offer something in return for career help
  5. keep records of your personal network
  6. use online resources for networking
  7. attend events that provide networking opportunities

3. Importance of Researching Companies Prior to Applying

It's always valuable to research the companies that fit your career path before approaching them. It shows that you have an interest in learning more about the companies and fitting into their models, rather than approaching them randomly. By learning about a company's history, structure and processes, you can prepare yourself with potential interview questions. Your research will give you a clear sense of what the company does and what it looks for in employees. Ideally, the place where you land a job matches your career goals. Surveys show that over half of Australians do not work in jobs that align with their career goals. That's why it's crucial to find out as much about the company beforehand as possible, so that you're not winding up in a dead-end position. Each job should take you closer to your goal and allow you to network with people who share your same interests. Here are keys to look to find out if the employer can match your interests:

  • corporate culture, company mission statement, and values
  • recent news about company milestones
  • internal company structure, employee job descriptions and the hiring process
  • necessary skills and experience
  • identification of target market and product knowledge
  • quotes and interviews from company leaders

4. Why Face-to-face Meeting is Important

Casual conversations with friends, family members and professionals can open doors to generating career leads and work at home jobs. People are more likely to prioritize helping you if they see you in person than if they are staring at a computer and dealing with other issues. Meeting someone in person is also much more memorable than meeting someone online. It allows the interviewer to find out more about your background by asking questions.

Conclusion

Professional networking, also known as career networking, involves using a wide variety of contacts and sources to assist you with a job search. The contacts can be both personal and professional, as well as from academic sources. The process of developing various easy access networks is valuable for generating career leads that otherwise would be very challenging.