Networking is a job seeker’s most valuable tool.
A new survey from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. asked HR executives to rate the effectiveness of various job search methods on a scale of one to five, one being the least effective and five being the most effective. The results found that networking averaged a rating of 3.98 and 48 percent of respondents gave networking a rating of five.
The second most effective job search tool is social and professional networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which got an average rating of 3.3, with 47 percent of respondents giving this category a rating of four or five.
Internet job boards also got relatively high marks, averaging a three rating, and 38 percent of respondents giving the category a rating of four.
“It is important to remember that the job search is a multifaceted process,” CEO John A. Challenger said. “Those who rely on just one tool, even if it is networking, will take longer to find a position. The problem with the ease and accessibility of the Internet is that many job seekers make it their primary job search tool.
“Overuse of the Internet also threatens to prolong the hiring process on the employer’s end, as well, by inundating employers with irrelevant resumes,” he continued. “Some human resource executives complain that for every qualified candidate that comes in from the Internet, there are 10 to 20 who do not even come close to being a good fit.
Job fairs turned out to be the least effective job search method, receiving an average rating of 1.6, followed by responding to newspaper classified ads and sending resumes to employers, each of which averaged a 1.7 rating.
“Job fairs are particularly ineffective in recessions,” Challenger said. “They are heavily attended by job seekers and lightly attended by employers. Many of the employers that do attend are seeking very low-level workers, volunteers or unpaid sales representatives/franchisees who would have to be prodigious sellers to make a living wage.
“And, while job seekers do get to interact with a representative of the company at the job fair, it hardly qualifies as networking,” he added. “The employer representative is rarely a decision maker and simply there to administer and collect applications.”
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August 17th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I will say that using connections is particularly difficult even in this economy. It used to be if you had a very good connection, someone would be able to find a place for you. It’s more difficult now, though qualifications, connections, and diligence still pay off.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Interesting info. Thanks!