If you believe there are hidden jobs, networking will help you uncover them. If you'd like to speed up your search by hearing about more jobs, networking is the way to do that. Start networking now, and you'll benefit for the rest of your career.

Most of us never learned networking skills, so we stand on the sidelines watching other people get jobs. If that's you, this list will put you in the game! You can start carefully. Please pick one item on the list and do it immediately.

2. Call two people you haven't talked to in a long time to catch up. They just might have some good information for you and at a minimum you'll be re-establishing the relationships. While you want to focus on building or re-building a relationship, it's certainly appropriate to let them know you're in job search. The job leads will follow. Actually talking to someone is so much faster and certainly more personal than trying to build a relationship via emails!

3. Call people you are talking to about your search to see how you can help them. Resolve to always ask this question, and people will know you're interested in them, not just their job leads.

5. Go to a meeting where there are people slightly senior to you, and start building relationships. These could be people who would hire you or those who will hear about positions you should know about. These are good people for you to know, so make a commitment to get to know at least two of them by calling them the next day to set up a time for a brief meeting.

6. Find someone who works in a company or industry or function you'd like to talk about. LinkedIn is a great way to find people. Use the People Search--Advanced link. Then give them a call. They just might be very willing to talk to you about the work they enjoy doing.

7. Find someone you're connected to on LinkedIn who would be at a hiring manager level for the kind of position you are looking for. These would be great people to call to see if they would talk to you for a few minutes to give you some of their thoughts on what they would do if they were in job search as you are.

And if you would like to have actual job search networking scripts to make these calls, get a free report: Hidden Job Market Networking Scripts. Start to break into the hidden job market right away.

Katherine Moody is Founder of Hidden Job Market Secrets. Her prior search experience includes time with Heidrick & Struggles and Deloitte & Touche. Katherine holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and an Executive MBA from the Peter Drucker Management Center, Claremont University.

A self-proclaimed “reluctant networker,” Katherine Moody is not only an expert on the topic, but secured her last three positions by doing what she knows best: networking. She is the author of several e-books including 21 Master Networking Secrets, I Hate Small Talk, and Taming the Wild Hiring Manager. Katherine’s passion is simple: showing other job seekers how to use the techniques she has perfected to help uncover the “hidden” job market and get back to work sooner.

Critical Yet So Hard to Do -

At a time when we might be suffering a bit of a crisis of confidence, it's difficult to step so far outside our comfort zone. If it feels too big to deal with or too confusing or scary/intimidating to you, know that you're in good company. I've worked with job seekers at all levels, and have found people from entry level to C suite executives can be very reluctant (read: scared) to do what we all know is required.

"I'm going to do all of this, just not today." - It can be overwhelming to think of doing all the things you know will make a difference. And so days and days go by with little if any progress in getting access to the hidden jobs. You plan to do it, just not today.

Why is that? Because the perceived pain of starting today feels much bigger than the long-term pain of not doing anything.

And then there is the fact that postings are tangible evidence of a job. Because there often isn't evidence of a job until you do get visible in the hidden job market, it's easier to choose to respond to that posting.

In the interest of starting today and thus accelerating your job search, here are the three first steps you can take to ease into this most critical of job search activities.

Take a Number - People often ask how much time they should be spending on activities to find out about hidden jobs. In the interest of just getting started, perhaps pick the percentage of jobs you think might be in the hidden job market. Since nobody really knows for sure what that percentage is, don't worry about picking the "right" number. Now you can use this percentage as a guideline of how much time you should be spending on this aspect of your job search.

It might take some time to get to that percent. It may feel too overwhelming to say: "I've picked 85% and tomorrow I'm going to spend 85% of the day networking into the hidden job market.". Make it 10% if that feels doable. Just get started.

Set a goal of how many people you're going to talk to every day for the next week.

Now you can set a goal for the following week. Again, pick one that feels doable right now.

If talking to four people a day seems like too big a leap from where you are, try for two. At the end of the week, you've got ten new people who know about you—you did share your brand statement with them, right? Now they can be on the lookout for leads or other connections you should know about.

Just get started today! If you can only do 1 call a day, do one. Don't wait, hoping that tomorrow you'll feel like doing more because you tell yourself one a day isn't enough.

Make a decision to put up with the discomfort for two weeks

My clients tell me it takes about two weeks to start feeling more comfortable. In all honesty, I won't tell you that you'll be unable to hold yourself back from making tons of calls because it's so much fun. But it does mean the more you do, the more confident you will feel before each call or meeting. That's good, right?

I know what a difference this can make in so many ways in your job search. Please get started. And let us know how it goes. Feel free to share how you got yourself to start; we'd all love to know.


And if you would like to have actual job search networking scripts tohelp get you started TODAY, get a free report: Hidden Job Market Networking Scripts. Start to break into the hidden job market right away.

Katherine Moody is Founder of Hidden Job Market Secrets. Her prior search experience includes time with Heidrick & Struggles and Deloitte & Touche. Katherine holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and an Executive MBA from the Peter Drucker Management Center, Claremont University.

A self-proclaimed “reluctant networker,” Katherine Moody is not only an expert on the topic, but secured her last three positions by doing what she knows best: networking. She is the author of several e-books including 21 Master Networking Secrets, I Hate Small Talk, and Taming the Wild Hiring Manager. Katherine’s passion is simple: showing other job seekers how to use the techniques she has perfected to help uncover the “hidden” job market and get back to work sooner.

Like what you read? Get blogs, videos and tools you can use delivered right to your inbox as I post them. No spam or junk – just content you can put to use and get results with! And make sure you check out my FREE STUFF to put to work in your job search today…

Whether you are using social networking like linkedin, twitter, emailing people directly, calling or meeting people, these networking techniques will accelerate your networking success.

Relationship: If you remember only one thing, please make it this one. Networking success is based on relationship, regardless of the technology you use to connect with people. The relationship must come first, then your agenda. When you take the time to get to know someone and let someone get to know a little about you (other than the fact you’re looking for a job), they will be more willing and able to help you.

Real: Be who you are. Don’t think you must be going to lots of those big “job networking” meetings if they aren’t your style. Do what feels right for you. When you are authentic, people feel it, and you will be able to build a real relationship with them.

Reality: Not everyone you meet will have a job lead for you or be able to connect you with someone you want to meet. But you never know where the connection with them will lead. And don’t leave them with the comment “Well if you hear of anything, please let me know.” The reality is nearly every networker says that and the rest of the reality is that the other person probably won’t be able to remember you from that statement.

Relax: Spend a little time building the relationship in a way that works for you. Don’t think you have to tell everyone in the first 27 seconds that you’re looking for a job. That will come out in a natural way if you can relax a little and just enjoy getting to know the other person. 

I know these things are easier said than done when you’re “eager” to find a new job. But if you just start practicing them even a little, you will start seeing greatly enhanced results from your networking. And you just might start enjoying it! 

Best wishes for a wonderful new job—very soon!

Katherine’s SME call on November 24^th is ONLY for Career Mastermind Group members.  Not a member yet?  Join now to access this call (as well as the archived SME calls and training materials) with Kevin’s special FREE 1 month Membership trial.

Katherine Moody is the Vice President of Recruiting Services with S. Benjamins & Company.  Her prior search experience includes time with Heidrick & Struggles and Deloitte & Touche.  Katherine holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and an Executive MBA from the Peter Drucker Management Center, Claremont University. 

A self-proclaimed “reluctant networker,” Katherine Moody is not only an expert on the topic, but secured her last three positions by doing what she knows best: networking.  She is the author of several e-books including 21 Master Networking Secrets, I Hate Small Talk, and Taming the Wild Hiring Manager.  Katherine’s passion is simple: showing other job seekers how to use the techniques she has perfected to help uncover the “hidden” job market and get back to work sooner. 

2009© Kevin Kermes Inc.

“Avoiding Deadly Networking Mistakes in Your Job Search”

You’ve heard it before – 80%+ of jobs are found through the “hidden” job market.  But, it is still a challenge to know how to open that door.  Our next Subject Matter Expert (SME) Katherine Moody is going to discuss just that.  A self-described “reluctant networker,” she will not only draw upon her 14+ years in the search business but her personal experience – having found her last 3 jobs through networking.

On this webinar she will cover:

• The two essentials to take to every networking event – and one isn’t your resume
• The one question you must always ask that makes people want to help you
• How sending your resume to strangers can actually hurt you – and what to do instead
• A simple change in how you ask for referrals that can dramatically increase your success rate
• The one statement that almost guarantees you won’t be forgotten

And she will do all this while sharing clear and simple guidelines to help you develop a networking strategy that will not only accelerate your job search, but also fits your style and authenticity.

Katherine will also share her handouts:

• How to Build a Relationship in 5 Minutes
• How to Re-establish a Connection

This call is ONLY for Career Mastermind Group members.  Not a member yet?
Join now to access this call (as well as the archived calls and training materials) with Kevin’s special F.R.E.E. 1 month Membership trial.

By joining you also get access to past SME Calls (Ilona Vanderwoude on Resumes, Chuck Csizmar on Compensation Negotiation, Wendy Weiss on Cold Calling Hiring Managers and numerous Q&A calls with Kevin) plus everything else the program has to offer.  Learn more about the Mastermind Program and take advantage of a one month F.R.E.E. trial.