Networking

1- Organize your contacts.
Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Talk to your parents, teachers, guidance counselors, minister/rabbi/priest, sports coaches, volunteer leaders, neighbors, past classmates, friends etc. about the kind of job that you’re looking for.

2- Identify networking opportunities.
There are many places, and opportunities for you to network professionally: while you volunteer, in professional organizations and by using Facebook or Twitter. Ask your contacts for names of people who might be able to help you find a job. 

If you are a college graduate, contact your college’s Career Services office. Many colleges have online career networks to help you with your job search. Use internet social media to make useful connections to people and groups.

If you are a member of a professional organization, visit their website for career assistance.

Volunteer. If your work experience is limited or if you want to change career paths, volunteer experience may be the key to a successful job search.

3 - Be clear about what you are seeking and have a positive attitude.
Carry business cards that include your contact information and bullets with the types of jobs that you may be interested in or a list of your skills. Sample networking business card (PDF)
Download a Microsoft Word business card template to create your own business cards. Take your business card Word document to your local printer or print your business cards on cover stock paper.

Use this worksheet to write a 30-Second Elevator Speech that you can use to introduce your self. Practice introducing yourself and be prepared to talk about your skills and past work history and education.  Communicate using positive statements and be confident.

Listen and show interest in the person who is talking.  Remember that networking in a two-way relationship.

4 - Manage your network of contacts and stay in touch.
Learn how to manage your network , and do it! It does not take that much time, and you might enjoy it.

Learn more about networking. It may be the best method of achieving your employment goals. This may mean attending conferences or joining a work-related organization. See 10 Tips for Successful Business Networking .

Social media is becoming the preferred way to find a job.

1 - Organize your information so that you can set up your accounts and provide accurate professional information

2- Get started by setting up your account with the "Big Three" social media tools
LinkedIn  can be used to network for finding a job and is like an online rolodex/resume.  LinkedIn has over 40 million members with a new member joining every second.  Executives from all Fortune 500 companies and 170 industries are represented.  Use the LinkedIn Guide (PDF)  to help you start networking.

Twitter  is like instant messaging to the world.  Members share information using fewer than 120 characters. They post and receive messages in a network of “followers”.  Use the Twitter Guide Book to help you start networking.

Facebook can be described as an Online Cocktail Party. There are over 400 million users where 50% of active users log on daily. The fastest growing demographic for Facebook is 35 years old and older. Use the Facebook Guide Book  and watch a demonstration  to help you start networking.

3 - Become familiar with the social media tools
Spend time viewing them so that you understand how they work.  Remember to only post information that would be okay for an employer to see.

4 - Learn about more social media tools
Blog Anyone with an idea can start a blog. Blogs are organized by blog posts. These are individual news stories like articles in a news paper. Each blog post can become a discussion with comments left by readers. Blogging makes news a two-way street. Blogging allows you to build relationships with readers and other bloggers with similar interests.
To learn more watch the video Blogs in Plain English .
Start your own Blog Here: http://www.blogger.comor/ http://www.wordpress.net/

RSS Feed  Keep up with information on your favorite websites.
The old way to keep up was to seek information from your favorite web sources. RSS Feed allows you to receive information from your favorite web sources
To learn more, watch RSS Feed in plain English.
Get Started:
1.Create a "Reader" account. This is a central place to find all your news.  Some examples are www.google.com/reader , http://www.bloglines.com/ , http://www.newgator.com/
2.Set up a connection between your reader and all your favorite web sources.Start

 Wiki Use wikis for group collaboration. Instead of important information getting lost in email inboxes, use a wiki. Groups can coordinate better using a shared document like website that all members can edit and save.
To learn more, watch the video Wikis in plain English .
Get Started:
1. Visit a wiki site and set up your own wiki. Some examples are http://www.pbwiki.com/ , http://www.wetpaint.com/ , http://www.wikispaces.com/ , http://www.wiki.comwiki/ .
2. Add information. Websites have two main buttons—Edit & Save—that transform the content of the document.
3. Once you finish editing, you save the document and it becomes a webpage once again.

Your personal brand is how you market yourself to others.

1 - Figure out who you are, what you want, and how you want to be perceived.  Review you past experience and hobbies (Personal Information Worksheet - MS Word ) (PDF) , transferable skills, workplace skills, interests. Explore job information, and write your personal mission statement.  See Personal Branding 101:  How to Discover and Create Your Brand .

2- Review tips for building your personal brand on Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

3- Update your social media profiles and maintain your brand.  See Personal Branding 102:  Communicating and Maintaining Your Brand .

4- Review your personal brand often so employers see you as a potential employee.  
Friends may have tagged your name to information you do not want viewed. Review the Top 10 Free Tools for Monitoring Your Brand's Reputation .

Once you build your personal brand, start searching for job leads!

In Person:

1- Find local associations in your field of interest and attend a meeting

2- Join or start a job club

3- Participate in networking opportunities
Get to know other participants and when sharing information about yourself, be clear on what you are seeking. Have a positive attitude.

On the Internet:

1- Search for job leads on Twitter
How To:  Find jobs on Twitter
Tweet Sheet (PDF) - Learn how to use Twitter for your job search

2- Search for job leads on LinkedIn
Linkedin Job Search - Enter a keyword and location to search for posted job openings

Using an e-mail spam filter assists in avoiding dangerous junk mail. Learn more  about tips, tools, and when to take action to help eliminate unwanted e-mails in your inbox.

Keep virus protection updated. Learn more about taking basic precautions and using a few simple tools to protect your computer and your information from theft, misuse, and destruction.

Focus your networking on making connections through familiar and trustworthy people. Learn more about staying safe

Use credible websites. Learn more about how to determine website credibility.

Keep virus protection updated. Learn more about taking basic precautions and using a few simple tools to protect your computer and your information from theft, misuse, and destruction.

Focus your networking on making connections through familiar and trustworthy people. Learn more about staying safe .