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Life has a way of taking sharp turns sometimes and putting us in a place we really don’t want to be. Think about Joseph, who was handed over by his brothers to become a slave in Egypt. For several years he was in servitude, and then in jail because he refused to compromise his principles, and he must have wondered how he ever ended up there. He certainly didn’t deserve it, but there he was. But he stayed true to Jehovah, refused to lower his standards, and somehow made it through until God delivered him and raised him to the highest position in the land under the Pharaoh.
You do have a job, you know, and it’s probably the hardest job you’ll ever have. And that job is to find a job. Therefore, you need a strategy and a plan that you consistently pursue until the right door opens. Statistics show that 70% of the time people find their jobs through networking, so that should be a major part of your strategy. Now, networking doesn’t mean asking for a job; rather it is talking to people about what you can do, learning about the job market and opportunities, and finding out as much as you can about potential opportunities. Remember that information is power, so the more you know about the marketplace and people in it, the better equipped you are to network.
So, build your network of contacts and don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone and ask anyone you think might give you some helpful information. It would be smart to set a goal for yourself each day—a certain number of contacts you will make each day in this networking mode, so that you’re keeping that network active and growing. Obviously not every contact will provide something useful, but remember, it only takes one tip in the right direction to find that one job that is right for you.
If 70% of the time people find their jobs via networking, then 70% of your job search time needs to be spent in networking activities. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
(We have a pulled together some resources that will be helpful for you in your job search. Click here to download the pdf.)