See the BLS Release

Day 2: Attend a networking cocktail party and meet four new people.

Day 3: Polish and enhance your profile on LinkedIn.

Day 4: Have your personal business cards made.

Day 5:  Volunteer for a charity event in your neighborhood.

Day 6: Call your college career center and request a list of school alumni in your area.

Day 7: Contact three alumni in your area.

Day 8: Talk to two neighbors and tell them about your job search.

Day 9: Join a professional or industry organization in your city.

Day 10: Reconnect with old friends on Facebook and invite them to have coffee or lunch.

Day 11: Help out with a non-profit organization that aligns with your field or industry.

Day 12: Practice your 30-second elevator pitch.

Day 13: Introduce two of your contacts who would benefit from knowing each other.

Day 14: Send your resume to your friends and family members.

Day 15: Fill your networking target list with at least twenty-five names.

For the rest of the 30-Day Challenge, check out our e-book Stop Job Searching, Start Networking.

There are a number of things that are really important to me. One — and people laugh that I have this philosophy — is that you only hire Tiggers. You don’t hire Eeyores. It doesn’t mean they have to be loud, but I need energy-givers and I have to get a feeling that this person is going to be able to inspire people. Are they going to be optimistic about where they’re going? Are they going to attract people who are like that? No. 2 is, will they be able to stand up to me when they believe in something? I’m very passionate. I need people who are going to be able to make me look at things in a different way. So, I have to ask those questions, like, “Give me an instance where you really believed in something and you were able to change the course and it was successful, whatever that was.” That’s really important, because you don’t want people telling you what you already know, or not telling you what you need to know.

In my time as Recruiting Director at Leo Burnett I operated under a similar philosophy, although I didn't word it that way. My guess is that most HR and Recruiting Directors and Hiring Managers do too. It makes sense. Given the choice between Candidate A who has a positive attitude and seems to be passionate about the position, or Candidate B who is gloomy and indifferent, which would you choose?

For all job seekers out there, the message should be clear: Be passionate at your job interview. Come in with a smile on your face and prove that you are a go-getter. Make sure that your demeanor, your answers to interview questions, and your non-verbal communication all show that you you would be a happy employee. This does not mean you have to be insincere or Polyanna, and please don't actually act like Tigger bouncing around your interviewer's office. However, showing energy and passion for what you do (or will be doing) is something that all employers are looking for, and something that potential employees should be mindful of.

Read the full interview at New York Times.

Myth #3:  You need to know tons of connected people to network.

You may be surprised with how big your network is once you expand your perspective.  In fact, you probably have more connections than you think.  Just consider a few of these:

□    Your friends
□    Your parents
□    Your parents’ friends
□    Your friends’ parents
□    Your neighbors
□    Your dentist
□    Your hairstylist
□    Your personal trainer
□    Your old colleagues
□    Your old professors

If there’s a company where you really want to work, make sure you start talking to anyone you know to find the connection.  It’s called six degrees of separation.  Sure, you may not know anyone at Google, but does anyone you know know someone who works there? 

Don’t forget your college career center – even if you graduated years ago.  At some schools, alumni organizations provide amazing resources and opportunities.  Also, don’t be shy about using LinkedIn or even Facebook to find contacts.

Read a review of our e-book at Wisebread.

Purchase our e-book.

Myth #2:  You need to know some heavy hitter or the Director of HR to network.

In order to network, you simply need someone – anyone – in the company to pass your resume on to HR.  It doesn’t need to be an employee in the department that interests you, and it doesn’t need to be a senior executive.

In fact, when I worked at Leo Burnett, I actually preferred recommendations from more junior employees.  Let’s be honest, the CEO’s country club’s friend’s daughter’s college roommate probably hasn’t been vetted by the CEO.  But the Account Executive’s buddy, who has worked at a competitive agency, is probably a much better candidate.

Just make sure you find someone at the company to pass along your resume.

So how can you make find people to network with at companies you're interested in? Find out tomorrow in Part III.

Read a review of our e-book at Wisebread.

Purchase our e-book.

Myth #1:  Networking is simply getting a job because you know someone. 

The following is not a likely scenario:

You:  I know Darren – he’s a big shot at Accenture.  He said you’d give me a job.

Recruiting Director:  Of course, I will.  You’re hired.  We’ll see you on Monday morning at 9:00.  I’m assuming $200,000 will work for you as your new IT Specialist salary.

Sadly, that’s not what networking is all about.

Networking is about tapping into connections you have to help you gain the opportunity to get a job.  When they say that 66% of people get jobs through networking, it doesn’t mean that 2/3 of people were handed their job because they happened to know someone.  It means someone helped them get the interview or helped them get their resume noticed by HR.

When it’s time to hire a candidate, recruiting directors are looking for some help.  This is because the recruiting department is flooded with resumes.  As a result, there’s no way to interview all the qualified applicants.  There might be sixty or seventy people in the pile of 500 resumes who could do the job, but it’s tough to know who the best ones are.

If you are recommended by someone in the company, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job – or even an interview.  However, the fact that you come “prescreened” by someone at the organization dramatically enhances your chance of getting that interview.

At smaller organizations, the situation can be similar.  Without a dedicated recruiting department, usually someone at the company says, “Hey, we need a new receptionist.  Does anyone know someone?”

In either scenario, having a connection is your key to landing a job.

So how can you make sure your resume gets into the hands of the hiring manager or recruiting director? Find out tomorrow in Part II.

Read a review of our e-book at Wisebread.

Purchase our e-book.