Gone are those days when merely writing a résumé and submitting it would provide you with the most deserved job.
We are in the time when, we got to put a little more amount of efforts to withstand in the job market.
While resume and CV still stands to be the most effective tool, there are several other things that we are supposed to do as well, for instance – Networking. 
Let us, find out why networking is essential when it comes to the job search.
How to Use Networking to Find a Job:
1. Getting those leads:
It might have happened numerous times, that you try hard to get a job but you do not. No matter how much better you present yourself, you just don’t get the job.
In such times, your networking can come handy. Being in the network of people who work in your field only, can let you know about the opportunities that are lurking.
In this way you can prepare yourself a bit in advance. Moreover sometimes reference helps a lot.
2. Adds up to your credibility:
Credibility is as important as it is to have a perfect resume. By networking you are actually telling them that you are credible enough to get hired, why?
And this is because you have a huge network of people working in the same industry who has known you since months or years.
3. Presenting yourself:
Networking with more and more people of your industry or field is like, practicing before the final shot.
While you network with people, you do work on your presentation skills isn’t it?
So the more you network, the more your confidence would get boosted. You would get to learn how to polish yourself day by day and bit by bit.
4. Expert guidance:
Guidance forms an important part of shaping ourselves. A good guidance can take us a long way. While we network with people, directly or indirectly they guide us in so many ways.
While, your boss may or may not spare you time to understand the functioning, the people who belong to your network can surely guide you throughout as a friend and as a mentor.
5. Future job prospectus:
It is fine that you are aware of the current market situation and demanding jobs, however, future prospectus matters as well.
Having a good network can tell you a lot about where the market and demand of the position would stand, 5 years from now.
You can also get information about, what are the jobs that are having good prospectus in future.
6. Reassessing yourself:
We understand that it is tiring to face rejections from job interviews and moreover, not understanding the reason behind it.
A good set of network lets you reassess yourself, your strengths and weaknesses and enables you to develop gradually.
Staying in isolation and merely forwarding your résumé wouldn’t get you anywhere at all.
7. Knowledge about the expectations:
You might find yourself caught in the whirlwind of, what you do and what do they expect. In order to avoid such situations from arising, networking stands to be important.
Networking with people who belong to your industry can help you a lot in understanding the expectations of your organization to a greater extent.
8. Jobs, that don’t advertise:
On one hand where you are in a constant rat race for the jobs that you spot on social media, newspapers and televisions and on the other hand there are jobs that go unadvertised.
So, isn’t it fruitful to apply for the jobs that are unadvertised, since the competition would be lesser?
The information of job opportunities that don’t advertise, travels through networks.
9. Preparing for interview:
Your networks can actually help you in preparing for your upcoming interview. The type of questions, the subjects on which questions are generally asked, the expected answers and so on, you can at least get a rough idea about it from them.
10. Broadens the scope of search:
It is going to be helpful if the scope of your search is broadened. Like, while you search from one side, your networks would do it from other side.
In this way, the opportunities are higher and so are the chances.
11. An insight:
A good set of network of people from your own industry can give you numerous insights over different issues.
For any job searcher it is helpful to know and understand the industry before jumping into the race. In such cases, networking can play a major role to inform you about the issues like stipend, tenure, expectations, work culture and so on.
12. Referrals:
A lot of companies rely upon referrals instead of job interviewing. If you have a good network this can help you in getting a job through referrals.
13. Boosting up the confidence:
You might get an unavoidable feel of letting down yourself every time, when you apply and don’t get a call letter. This is absolutely natural but sometimes the stress becomes too much to handle.
In such times, the people in your network can help you in feeling better. You can get them to share their tips, failure and success stories which would certainly make you get motivated.
14. Future:
Networking won’t just help you in your initial job searches but, also during the later stages of your career.
Be it a new project, research, idea, a professional help or search for a new job, your networks are going to take you to a long way.
To Wrap Up:
While there are different types of networks, everything depends upon what type of network do you build around yourself.
Some believe that networking is a bad thing to do, but the truth is that – networking is the best possible thing that one can do while searching for a job.
Networking can come handy in your later stage of career as well therefore, start building one, now!
