by Jackie Simmonds, NEJS Blog Editor
A strong network is critical to your success in this poor hiring market. Many jobs never reach the jobs boards and you need that network to help you uncover them. It is worth the effort to spend a day analyzing the state of your current network and developing a plan to use that network to be more effective in your job search.
Part of that analysis involves the quality of the network. Do you have the right people in place to help uncover opportunities. Tai Goodwin wrote an article that is worth reviewing, the Top 10 People You Must Have in Your Network.
Here are the top 10 people that should be in your network…
- The Mentor: This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to have. You can learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship offers a unique perspective because they have known you through several peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.
- The Coach: The coach is someone who comes in at different times in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached.
- The Industry Insider: This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what’s happening now and what the next big thing is. Invite them to be a sounding board for your next innovative idea.
- The Trendsetter: This is someone outside of your chosen industry that always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic that you find interesting. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark innovation via the unconventional. It will also help you keep your conversations interesting.
- The Connector: This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. As soon as they come across something related to you, they are sending you an email or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities that most people would over look.
To read about the remaining critical members of your network: The Idealist, The Realist, The Visionary, The Partner, and The Wanna-be, click here.
While you can have many people in your network you should make sure that you have someone who can fall into each these categories. If you don’t, you need to take a look your contacts and identify someone who could fit that particular role and begin cultivating that relationship with them.
Don’t forget to give back, you can also fill one of these roles for people you know in your industry or who are networking for a new position themselves.
