Thursday, May 29, 2008

Job Search: Network Network Network!!

It's weird--in fact, it's kind of ironic--that in this time of the Social Web, where information professionals are blogging, social networking, Twittering, flickring, and generally connecting and collaborating with each another in a variety of ways, the act of searching for work (a long time hobby of mine, tragically) remains a very solitary endeavour.

There's the long hours of searching through job postings, online, offline, etc; revising one's resume; writing cover letters, tailoring each to the specifics of the job in question; and on occasion, being interviewed by a search committe. And on and on it goes. All solitary.

Making matters more challenging is the decision I made to transition from the purely archival field to the field of web communications and new media.

A few friends have suggested taking a long, long sabbatical, that is, a vacation away from searching for work. Take up another hobby, they say, adding that searching for work should not be considered a hobby. Get fit. Lay off the laptop. Hit the outdoors. Take more pictures. (Practice makes perfect, they say.)

Another astute friend, however, suggests I network network network. (If I recall, she did indeed say network thrice.) Contact colleagues, ex-colleagues, professors (if they actually remember me). Just network, let people know you are looking, and, like karma, something good will come your way.

(network + network + network) + good karma = job

To those unemployed (and I know who you are since you responded to my employment survey), let me know if this equation works.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am sure that skills/abilities & education should be part of that equation. However network*3 + karma certainly helped me get my position a year ago.

My professor/employer/friend (yes, the one person was all three) received a job-posting from a colleague doing the hiring with a request to pass it on to qualified candidates. She chose to pass it on to me. I also talked frequently and at length with another professor who had close ties to the hiring institution.

Everything worked out for me.

David Kemper said...

Good for you anonymous! Glad that it worked out.

about the author

I am an information professional, researcher, and writer with over eight years experience in the information services field with experience in information and communication technology.

I have a B.A. in History and a Master's in Library and Information Studies and working on a Web and Multimedia Design certificate.

I believe that empowering people with information can enrich lives and transform the world.