Looking for career opportunities is becoming easier all the time, anyone can look online to find ideal jobs and information about a career by just doing some researching rather than having to attend every job interview just to find out more the vacancy. Recruiters are also available now, specialising in helping you find the right company to suit your needs, the issue with these options is that everyone is doing the same. People can sound amazing on paper but it’s tough to sell yourself uniquely than everyone else doing the same techniques.
How to stand out from the online crowd? Simple, attending Networking events are not a thing of the past, here are the key reasons you should consider attending networking events to chase down the dream job.
What is a Networking Event?
An assembly of businesses that attend a venue to entice new business and employees to work with and for them. It’s a great way to advertise a company’s brand and their etiquette, anyone who is interested can attend to learn and make contacts in their desired areas.
Peer Socialisation
Networking events aren’t just to meet employers, socializing with peers has its benefits also. The first thing you’d think is that you are competing with everyone to land the job but having a helpful etiquette will encourage your peers to help you too, areas such as interviews, what to wear, where to apply and event techniques to use in your chosen career choice will be helpful to know and swapping knowledge will help both parties land jobs.
Future Friends
Having relationships with people in the same field can help your career progress also, keeping in touch on social media channels such as Linked-In can keep you up to date on career opportunities in the future. Your friends could even help recommend you for a job that isn’t suited for themselves or maybe even working with them. The advice friends can give is important too, receiving suggestions from someone you trust also gives you confidence in the information, examples such as how to approach a new company, who their professional indemnity insurance is with or even advice on work problems.
Face-to-Face Contact
Creating a face-to-face relationship will always impact potential employers more than sending a CV. An employer is looking for how someone reacts in the real world, it’s fine writing that you are confident and outgoing on a CV but if your quiet in an interview it doesn’t bode well for a potential employer. Many cases where people have received jobs are character references, a parent’s suggestion to employ their child if it’s between friend helps so if this isn’t something you can do then face-to-face is key to landing important jobs.
Learning About Companies
Being at a networking event will open new avenues for you to explore, careers and job titles you will have never thought to type in on your computer. Employers are also trying to sell their business to potential applicants at networking events also, so hearing about how a company can benefit you daily is key to being happy in your new career. Meeting the employer can help identify working hours, work perks, holidays and the work levels required for the role.
Staying Up-to-Date
Being at a networking event keeps you up-to-date on current practices in the field you would like to pursue, having the current knowledge of the job will show employers your interest in entering the field. Companies use networking events to advertise their business development, product and services and taking note of these update will prove your passion.
Attending these events can also benefit your current career, making notes to feedback to your employer on how your company can improve will also show your enthusiasm.
Highlights New Careers
Some peoples dream jobs can be sadly out of reach at times, the career can be too popular and tough to get into. With networking events, you have the potential to change your dream, career goals and desires change all the time and you may not currently even know the job of your desire. Networking events highlight roles available and benefit people unsure of where they want to go in their career, looking online for job roles is specific to what you search, at a big event you can look at careers you’d never normally think about.
Business Point of View
The benefits of networking don’t just sit with potential employees, but the companies attending the events also. From a business aspect, they can advertise their brand to everyone attending and meet a lot of potential business partners that they can socialise with. These events aren’t as formal as expected, a company’s true personality will be highlighted in a more relaxed environment rather than a formal meeting. The benefit is also in meeting students and younger people wanting to change career, being able to exchange information with them if you get off on the right foot. It can save time on interviewing people who haven’t got the right personality for the job and skips over the “emailing the unknown” phase of recruiting. For example, if someone comes across loud, bubbly and outgoing via email, but ends up being quiet and shy for an interactive energetic job role, it becomes a waste of time interviewing them. Meeting someone at a networking event can tell you more in one minute about how a person presents themselves then some long-winded interviews. It might not be the perfect way to recruit but it will defiantly broaden the search.
To summarize networking can only improve your chances of new and improved employment, make new friends and learn new techniques to help land your dream career, best of all it will improve your confidence in future endeavours. Networking event can truly help inspire you to find a new role doing something you can never even considered. Anyone who has attended these events will tell you that they only have positive outcomes.
