You’ve probably heard the phrase, “It’s not who you know … but WHO KNOWS YOU.” In the professional world, and especially during a job search, this is absolutely true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking. The problem for me was, I’m an introvert, which makes mingling with strangers a stressful situation. That’s why I gravitated towards structured networking groups, with a timed and organized agenda. Although there is much to be said for mingling, it just wasn’t for me. I tried several lunch networking groups but wasn’t making any connections. It wasn’t until I started going to a leads referral group, that I started to get some traction. I also attribute part of my success with this group to attending the meetings religiously. Repetition is KEY. People meet you once or twice and forget you. It’s just human nature. You have to be there every week, week after week. (Side note: repetition also applies to successful print advertising.) I met with this group every Friday morning …after about 6 months, one of the members introduced me to someone who would end up changing my career path. That person became a client and was the big break I needed to quit my 9-to-5 job and start my freelance business. The advice I would give to a networking newbie is to try a few different groups to see what fits your personality and then keep going (and going). If you don’t get a good lead within 6 months, move on to a new group. If you really want to hit the networking scene hard, attend multiple groups and schmooze away! 

“NETWORKING is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization.” – Adam Small