The old saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know”  has been updated to “It’s not what  you know, but who you know and who they know.  This especially holds true if you are in a job search.  Most of us now understand that networking is a critical component to a job search, in fact the majority of positions that are filled are never posted, rather they are filled through referrals.  Don’t assume that because  your neighbor works at a day care center they are not necessarily a good networking contact.  Your neighbor may very likely know all the moms and dads who have children enrolled there and your neighbor may be able to help you make the connection with one of those moms and dads that just might be working at a company that you are targeting. 

The key is to let your immediate contacts know what types of jobs you are targeting, what types of people you are looking to connect with, and what types of companies you might be interested in.  Don’t assume they know - help them to connect the dots.  You can also use  LinkedIn to identify contacts inside companies that you are targeting.  You may be connected to that person indirectly and LinkedIn will quickly identify who you need to reach out to in order to get introduced to your target contact.  If you can’t get a warm referral to your targeted “inside contact”  then just call that person up and introduce yourself.  So what would you say?  Tell them you found their profile on LinkedIn,  tell them a little bit about your background (i.e. your  30 second commercial or elevator speech) and that  you are looking to make a contact or connection with someone in their position inside the company.  You might think why would this person want to help me?  Here’s one good reason.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal article (Greasing the Inside Track to a Job, 6/1/2010) “As hiring picks up, more companies are revamping their employee referral programs”  and  are sweetening the bonus pot.  It is not unusual for a company to have an employee referral program that pays $500 to $1500 or more for referrals.  If your target company has such a referral plan,  your networking target may have a very good ($$$) reason to take your call and hear what you have to say.  You could actually be  doing them a favor by letting them know what a great potential hire you might be!!  All they have to do is get you in the door! 

 

So pick up the phone and make the call!