Insider tip: companies don’t like hiring just like you probably don’t like job searching. This is the reason that the majority of jobs are filled internally. It saves the company money, reduces onboarding time, and generally increases company morale by showing room for growth.
However, that doesn’t always mean that the internal candidate is the best applicant for the job. What if an external candidate (you), with better credentials and experience could make yourself have similar characteristics of an internal company applicant? You can!
In many cases, your devoted job searching time may be better spent networking. Why? Getting an ‘IN’ with a currently employee or influencer in a company is the first step in becoming an internal employee by many company standards.
Still don’t believe me? Here are some other reasons to spend time networking rather than hitting the job boards:
1. Competition Decreases
As soon as a job goes public, you are competing against hundred or even thousands other candidates. You are trusting a hiring manager to sift through hundreds of resumes and notice keywords on your resume that sets you apart. If your resume doesn’t contain the perfect keyword or is missing one skill, it can quickly become overlooked.
Instead, by proactively networking your resume is immediately put in front of a hiring manager when an inside influencer. Now your resume becomes the standard for other resumes to compare.
2. Many Job Postings Have Already Been Filled
FACT: the majority of jobs have already been filled before they are posted to the public. However, it is company policy to publicly display the job opening prior to making a commitment. In many cases, the job requirements and requested skills have been specifically tailed to a specific person who already has the ‘in’ for the job. How is anybody else supposed to compare to a person who had the job requirements written for them?
3. It’s Frustrating!
Let’s be honest, job hunting is frusturating. You spend day after day hunting for the perfect position. You finally find something that fits your skillset only to never be contacted by the hiring manager and the job to slip out of your reach. Then other days you aren’t even able to find anything that matches your criteria. It can be an endless cycle.
Being proactive in your job search, attending networking events and using social media, resume websites, and other forms of communications to create your inner circle within a company you want to work for can pay huge dividends. While you may not see the instant results, the fruits of your labor will begin to come to you rather than the endless job search task that feels like chasing a tail.