LinkedIn Post written by Steve Dalton MBA ’04, Author of The Job Closer and The 2-Hour Job Search
“Networking is too slow; I need a job NOW.”
I hear this a lot. However, the “networking = slow / applying = fast” conventional wisdom is both backwards and harmful.
First, applying is decidedly NOT fast. A survey I ran a month ago found on average job seekers spent 90 minutes per application when all tasks (eg, searching postings, preparing resumes/cover letters, etc) were included. That’s brutal, not fast.
Second, applying doesn’t work well. A recent Ashby study said the odds of getting an offer from an average online application was 0.2%, or 1 in 500. To have an 80% chance of getting an offer at those odds, you’d have to apply to 804 jobs. That’s nearly 7 months of full-time (40 hrs/wk) effort using the metric above — just for an 80% chance.
Third, applying never ends. There’s always another posting to look for, so there is no finish line. Networking OTOH is finite. After you contact people, you must wait for responses, during which time you can do homework, research a topic, (yes) apply to jobs, go see a movie, etc.
Networking is intimidating and uncomfortable, for sure — especially if you’ve never been taught how (which most of us haven’t; that’s NOT job seekers’ fault). You’ll be embarrassed and make mistakes… and improve over time.
But “networking is too slow” is a face-saving yet devastating myth.
