99% of people get this wrong about networking
You would have heard this term a lot in Canada: “networking”. Every uni/college tells us that networking is the key to getting a job in Canada.
Rationale: 80% of the jobs are not even advertised online!
Objective: Mostly to get a referral.
But no one teaches us to network, the RIGHT way.
Before I go into that, a hot insight for you: All referrals are not equal. In fact, most of them are useless. Will reveal more on this later.
Now coming back to the contrarian perspective: traditional networking isn’t always worth your time. Let's explore why.
1. Authenticity Matters
Contrary to the stereotype of networking as superficial, building genuine connections is more valuable. Meaningful conversations and shared interests often lead to stronger professional relationships. This kind of relationship takes time and can’t be established over a 30-minute coffee chat.
2. Time Management
Networking events can be time-consuming. Balancing academics, part-time job and personal time as an immigrant can be challenging. Consider whether the time spent at events could be better used for focused job searches, skill development, or self-care.
3. Every Referral is Not the Same
Most of the people do networking to get a quick referral. But 80% of the time, it’s useless. Unless the person recommends your name to the Recruiter or the Hiring Manager, the referral is not going to have much of an impact, especially in big companies. So, don’t waste your time on networking just for the sake of this.
Having talked about ineffective networking ways, here are 3 right approaches to networking.
1. Genuine Connections
Just put yourself out there and build meaningful relationships. Talk to the person sitting next to you on the TTC, your next-door neighbor, or the person ordering a coffee (if you work at Tims). These conversations are organic and you never know if the other person turns out to be a recruiter or the decision-maker at a company! Another way to go about this is by joining local communities where you get to meet different people.
2. Networking with Purpose
Do you want to know about a certain role: the day-to-day working, skills required, etc.? Networking is great for that! The mistake many people make is that they schedule coffee chats like this when they are about to graduate or have graduated. That’s the time to actually get a job, not advice. So, do these kinds of coffee chats early in your degree or diploma so that you actually have time to implement the advice.
3. Directly asking for a Job
If you need a job, don’t beat around the bush. Let the other person know that you are interested in a particular role in the company and why you would be a good fit for the role. Saves time for both parties.
Good luck!
Keep blooming,
Bani