When we consider the various skills and tasks involved in the job search process, how much weight should be given to networking? Its importance can be summed up simply: The known person gets the job.

Networking gets your message out. It expands your options, sometimes in unexpected ways. Networking can reveal positions that have not yet been posted or publicized. Networking can get your foot in the door even before a position is available. Later on, when the position opens up, the hiring manager may think of you first, before looking at the hundreds of résumés from Human Resources. Networking helps you uncover the hidden job market. Over 70 percent of job seekers find their jobs through networking. Sharpening your networking skills, then, can make all the difference in your job search process.

Despite the emphasis placed on it, networking remains one of the most misunderstood dimensions of the search process. For some lucky people, networking seems to come naturally. Many job seekers are intimidated by the process or are unsure exactly how to go about it.

To help demystify networking, the Weston Career Center offers the following resources:

• Networking Informational Guide (*PDF 267KB)
  
  
• Weston Contact Database
  Includes a listing of corporate contacts that have had exposure to the Olin School through the Weston Career Center. The database is password-protected and available online to current students registered with the Weston Career Center. All recruiters who come to campus throughout the year are listed.
  
  
• Career Connections
  A University-wide online database containing over 5000 alumni who are willing to assist current students and other alumni in their career research. It is available online to all currently enrolled Washington University students. This is an excellent resource to use for researching career fields, industries, and geographic locations. Career Connections is also a valuable source for informational interviews. Contacts can be queried by company name, location, graduating class, degree and many other criteria.
  
  
• Career Resource Library Resources
  The CRL Bookmarks has a networking category with links to many helpful resources.
  
  
• Search our resources using the CRL search form- Simply type networking into the "search terms" box and click SUBMIT to see all resources related to Networking.