Networking
Many jobs are never advertised as recruitment and selection is both expensive and time consuming. Companies may decide to recruit internally or select from a pool of speculative applications. Networking should play a role in your job search strategy.
Networking can help you:
- seek out ‘hidden’ opportunities
- find out more about different careers and test your suitability
- raise your profile – develop a professional identify.
Build your network through:
- Personal contacts – start with the people you already know. Consider if any of these individuals work in an occupational area you are interested in or work for an employer of interest to you. If there is no direct link they may still be connected to people who can help.
- e-mentoring - connect with Warwick Alumni to help you get industry or career information.
- Student societies – with over 250 societies to choose from, you will certainly find something that reflects your career interests. Get involved through the social and networking events run throughout the year.
- Careers fairs and employer events – with a programme including 5 fairs, over 80 employer presentations and 15 sector events, you will certainly find something of interest. You can speak to people working in the profession, and gather useful tips for you job search and application strategy.
- Professional bodies – most professions will have at least one professional association. Use our job sector pages for links to the organisation’s websites, where you will find useful information on careers, networking events and current news.
- Careers Blog: Networking? How to succeed - useful advice on how to network.
Social networking
This has now become an established part of job searching and using Facebook and LinkedIn can be a great way of:
- searching company profiles
- finding new contacts
- establishing a professional online presence.
- Student guide to social media
- designed to help you to use some of the common social media tools including LinkedIn, easy to use and developed by 3 UK university libraries.
Watch recordings from the social networking sessions on YouTube from speakers in the industry with tips on how to use social networking for your career.
- Get Linked In: Make Connections; Find Jobs
- 18 June 2014 - Using social media to own your career - 18 June 2014 (login to Echo with your Warwick ITS username & password).
Do remember that employers will also search these sites - it's not unusual for them to check the Facebook pages of prospective candidates – think carefully about the information you make publicly available.
LinkedIn has a more business feel to it but don’t let this deter you. Not only is it an important first step in creating a professional online profile but you can also join occupational and interest groups – a great way to find out about current trends, news and even job opportunities.
Linkedin: Ask Warwick Alumni - a new group for Warwick students to contact Warwick graduates.
If you haven’t registered yet then this online tutorial will walk you through the process.
