Job Search Networking For Young Professionals - 5 Strategies For Maximizing Face-to-Face Networking

By Liz Lynch

Careers , Jobs Indonesia, Indonesia Vacancy

While browsing online job boards is easy because it doesn't require you to shower, get out of your pajamas, or actually talk to anybody, networking face-to-face with potential employers can have a lot more impact.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. While you may be tempted to bank on that 30% chance, finding a job quickly in a tough economic climate, will require you to do more than the average candidate. Professional association events are great places to start meeting people in the specific industry you're trying to break into. Here are five strategies for maximizing your results.

1) Arrive early. If you're new to networking or not very comfortable with it, it can be intimidating to walk into a room full of strangers. When you arrive early, however, you'll find it easier to start conversations with both event organizers who are waiting for the event to start, as well as other early birds.

2) Volunteer to help with the event. Not only might you get in for free, you'll also have more visibility with the attendees. For example, if you volunteer to work the registration table or hand out nametags, you'll have a chance of meeting everybody who comes in.

3) Join the program committee. This group puts the events together and helps book speakers, and getting involved with them will give you an important role at the event. Often, speakers are the big wigs in the industry and it's easier to introduce yourself to them when it's your job at the event, rather than when you're just one of hundreds of attendees.

4) Have plenty of business cards ready. You want an easy way to hand out your contact information, so if you don't have business cards, get some printed inexpensively at your local copy shop or online at sites like Vistaprint.

5) Ask questions. The great thing about being young is you can pretend not to know everything even if you think you do. Older people love to give career advice to the younger set, so use that as an opening for any networking you want to do. Ask about their career path, how they made decisions about what to do next, and what suggestions they might have for you. Not only might you get some valuable information, you'll also build rapport, which is important fuel at the start of any relationship.

As efficient as online networking can seem to be, nothing beats a face-to-face event for making contact quickly with lots of potential employers. Employ these five strategies and you'll be networking like a pro even if you've never done it before.