Networking is Key in a Tight Job Market

[kipparent]

http://www.keirsey.com/personalityzone/wz51.asp

The vast majority of jobs are never advertised nor posted on the web. How do you find them? Through your network of friends, acquaintances, co-workers and former bosses. Networks are important in times of lay-offs both within and outside your company. So what is networking all about? It is connecting with others for fun and mutual assistance.

[Goodrum]

I have a great network of people with me in my business, a bit of delegating, so important, I get to carry on what I consider my core strengths within business, and have the support of people (who are great at what they do), with me.

Always the journey, the journey...

Relating and networking well, with people has facilitated this. I do believe I am rather good at relating and networking..

Even when issues crop up, challenges within my business, we work as an effective team.

Remember the saying, "if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in trouble"...and you cannot help but learn and have some of their knowledge rub off on you.

Business is great, people are better!

...and it is so much fun!

[estanford]

When I was working at an FFRDC this summer, the CTO told me that it's always important to be a generalist when you're in a recession. Unless you're in a necessary industry, the market can only support specialization in boom times. When the market for specialized labor disappears, you need to be able to switch out of that role and be able to contribute to a wider range of projects.

How does networking help with this? My experience is that it's easier to pick up the rudiments of a discipline if you have friends who practice it, but that seems like it could be just be the beginning.

[Quinta]

Hello Kipparent,

I read what you had to say for quite some time ago.

It's good recommendation for some of us to practise learning people skills. I've been practising almost all week, so your motivating has worked.

But for the weekend, I enjoy a bit of solitude. It's precious.

It's funny. Some of the practise included talking to another person who also probably is comfortable with being attentive. The conversation dragged along, as opposed to when talking to expressive types. You might have concluded that it all was a failure, even though there was positive regard on both sides.

Now, since I know that there are both attentive and expressive types, I know it wasn't a failure, just unusual.

Or maybe it was more about us being people who need their time before relating freely.

[stellarrenegade]

Every job I've ever had, until this one, has been acquired with help by someone on the inside. Although I'm working for the same company I did five years ago.

Of course, I've pretty much only worked retail, but I imagine that this trend has a high chance of continuing throughout my life. I tend to make pretty good connections, and no wonder - just look at my icon!

[Quinta]

Something related to networking is working with groups, leading them. A counselor challenged me to learn more about group management, as I have done both very well and very badly with groups. When I have had a choice, I have often withdrawn when I haven't liked a group, but I can't do that if its my job to be responsible for that very group. I can't be too provocative either.

It's interesting to read how you naturals go about it, though.