Networking for Jobs


Less than 25% of all vacancies are advertised, so for the vast majority of job seekers their success in finding a new role is determined by how well networked they are. Based upon the latest job vacancy figures from the Office of National Statistics1, in February 2007 there were a whopping 465,000 job vacancies that were not advertised.


People who are good at networking have a significant advantage when it comes to taking the next step up their career ladder, as they will be able to choose from a much greater selection of job opportunities.


Networking skills can be taught and this is one of the personal development courses run by the Transition Services practice of Reed Consulting, the specialist HR consultancy and outsourced services provider.


To help individuals measure their effectiveness as networkers, Stuart Lindenfield, Head of Transition Services at Reed Consulting, has devised this simple, self-assessment networking questionnaire -


Confident Networking Questionnaire


Score each statement using a scale from 5 down to 1, as follows -
5 = Strongly agree
4 = Agree
3 = Neither agree or disagree
2 = Disagree
1 = Strongly disagree


- I enjoy meeting strangers from all walks of working life


- I understand the difference between an ordinary social relationship and a business networking relationship


- If I wanted or needed a change of job or career, I have a Contacts List full of well-connected people whom I could easily contact and who would be willing and able to help me


- When meeting new people, I'm able to quickly convey my specialism in a matter of seconds


- My contacts all clearly understand what I can offer


- I can readily bounce back from brush-offs, rejections and my own mistakes


- I use the internet frequently to converse with people outside my immediate circle of friends and colleagues


- I can name at least three on-line business or social networks


- I am someone that people turn to when they need a useful contact


- I would seize an opportunity to talk to a CEO or someone famous


Now add up your score and check out where you stand currently -


-If you scored over 45, it is highly likely that you are already a super-confident networker who is able to draw upon a deep pool of contacts to help you progress your career.


-If you scored between 39 and 44, you are already a good networker but don't yet have as many contacts as you could who would be able to help you unearth even more job opportunities.


-If you scored 38 or less, you will miss out on a whole swathe of job opportunities unless you learn how to become a better networker.




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