Different studies report varying percentages of jobs landed as a result of referral connections and introductions made through the generosity of others, as opposed to more common ‘cold’ resume submissions. 

A quality resume is critical either way, but even better if a first-class resume is combined with a strong supporter for you as your referral source. And one of the most effective tools for gaining referrals from people willing to be a champion for someone in a job-seeking mode is a concept called NetWeaving.   

In this, my initial blog on the topic (short definition to be repeated with each addition), I will cover the basics of the concept.  Right off the bat, I want to  make sure people realize that NetWeaving is not an attack on more traditional networking which tends to be a little more self-centered, but absolutely necessary when you are in a job-seeking mode. I only maintain that in the long run, and often even in the short run, the outcomes from your NetWeaving efforts will greatly out-perform those of most traditional networking.

NetWeaving is a Golden Rule and Pay It Forward form of networking which is all about building trusted relationships by helping others – either by connecting them with someone he or she would benefit meeting, or by providing resources or information for someone – no-strings-attached – simply because you genuinely believe that “what goes  around does come back around.”

The primary action step of NetWeaving, on which this blog will focus much of its attention, is about hosting a meeting to introduce two people to each other, with the job seeker acting as the host for the new pair.  Most NetWeaving hosting meetings usually conclude with a turn-of-the-tables question posed by one or both of  the two people who have been connected: “How can WE help you?”  And rather than launching into all the various ways they might be able to do this, the job seeker should first surprise them by simply asking each of them to pay it forward and agree to host a meeting for two others.

Don’t worry though.  In almost all cases, they will agree to this but then still insist on knowing how they can help the job-seeker.  Then it’s okay to give in and allow them to do so!

What have been your experiences about success of referrals vs. cold job prospecting, and do you have any tips on how to make referrals more effective and more frequent?

Do you consider yourself to be a NetWeaver already?  Are you a connector of others with their needs in mind rather than just your own?  A no-strings-attached resource for others as a way to establish and build relationships?  If it’s a yes to either or both of these questions, you’ll really enjoy the postings and the comments to this blog.