It’s not what you know?  That’s right … it’s who you know.

You can exercise all of the traditional means for finding work, to include posting your resuming online, applying to jobs on company websites and cold calls (even though I don’t know anyone who does this).  Don’t get me wrong.  I believe these work and are effective.  However, from my experience, a referral from a trusted source / colleague is much more effective.  Why?  When they vouch for you, they’ve taken out the guessing game.  By vetting you, they have removed some / all of the risk or uncertainty.  In other words, they are providing the screening process as a free service … one less worry for the hiring manager.

A long time ago, in an effort to help as many people as possible, I used to refer everyone to my network.  Then, one day, I realized that my network placed a high value on my referrals.  Additionally, key decisions were dependent upon my personal recommendations.  I realized that my input meant a lot to them.  I felt that the individuals that I referred needed to meet or exceed my expectations.  I wanted my network to rest comfortably knowing that the referral comes with a seal of approval from a trusted source, me.  So, I became very specific as to whom I referred.  After all, it is my name, my word and my integrity.

In summary, exercise many channels to seek employment.  Don’t forget to reach out to your network / contacts.  They can often give you leads on unadvertised jobs or better yet, get you a phone call or interview with the hiring manager.