So you are looking for a job. Well, the best way to find the right job for you is not necessarily online. It is actually networking through personal referrals to find the best job for you. And there are two reasons for that right away.
First of all, 85 percent of all the jobs that get filled, are never listed anywhere. In fact one job that I got, there was not a job there like the one I got. They created the job for me, and I have seen that happen to other people. So just let me say that again, 85 percent of the jobs that gets filled are never listed anywhere so, yes you want to go online but as it comes to searching or finding job opportunities, let us do 15 percent online and 85 percent on the ground through personal referrals.
The second reason and a very important statistic, a company I worked for was getting 10,000 inquiries a year and we are going to pick a hundred people. We did a little study and found the one thing that made the biggest difference of somebody being hired was, if they had a personal referral to someone in the company, the odds of them getting a job with the company were 42 times greater. That is 4200 percent. So the value of networking through personal referrals is mentally important. I mean it is just tough to understate that or overstate that.
So, what do you do? How do you go about that? Well first of all, you ask everyone. So that’s family and friends and schoolmates and workmates, the next door, in that church, and wherever. In fact, one guy was out of work. He goes to get his car repaired. It is a true story. The guy is working under the car and says “Well what are you doing?” He says, “Well I am looking for a job, I am out work right now.” “No really, what did you do?” He said, “I was a sales manager for manufacturing company.” “Really? One of my customers is in that business, you guys ought to meet.”
That personal referral led to four weeks later, that man getting a job true story I swear. So ask everybody, miss no one, always be ready. Be ready with what? You want to have a ten second statement, we call or an elevator a pitch if you will. A ten-second story that says I am looking for this kind job, in this kind of industry, with this kind of location, so I am looking to be a sales manager. In a manufacturing company making widgets in North Atlanta, and now you have said it in ten seconds, and you just say that to many people.
So you are asking people that you know. What about calling people you do not know? Well the bridge is from people you do know, so that every time you are talking to somebody, ask them who do you know that might. And if you are really specific about the kind of company you want to work for, mention the name of the company or others like it. But then you ask who do you know that I could call and use your name as a referral. And then you call that person. I know that’s seems kind of you do not know them, but you have the magic key. You have, let us say it is Bill Smith. Bill Smith suggests that I give you a call. And immediately the person you just called thinks all these good things about you because they really like Bill Smith. And that is your key to get in. So you can talk to other people you do not know through personal referrals and that is why that is important.
Finally, there is one person. And that is a capital “O”, capital “P”. There is one person who knows everybody, who knows where every job is. So everyday, take the time to dial 1-800 dear God, and spend some time alone with God. Then ask him, “Look, I am making phone calls today. You know what I am going to be doing today God, help me to be a good steward, help me to be alert, help me to seek out other people that could help other people, that could help other people help me.” And by the way the last thing I would thought is, while you are on the way, be sure to do unto others that you would have do unto you. In other words, as you’re meeting and talking with people be alert to help them with whatever they’re looking for.
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