How effectively are you networking?

Many career coaches will give you numbers like these:

  1. 70% of job seekers find their jobs through personal networking.
  2. 5% of job seekers find their jobs through the internet, newspapers, and other published sources.There are between 2000 and 5000 responses to the average internet job posting.
  3. 80% of all executive recruiters (headhunters) went out of business during the economic downturn that started in 2000.
  4. 99% of unsolicited resumes go straight into the trash can.
  5. 30% of job seekers land jobs that did not exist before they visited the employer.
  6. Persons reviewing incoming resumes spend an average of 15 seconds on it before deciding what to do with it.
  7. the average length of a job search at the $100k+ level is 8 months.

Some of the above is pretty grim news, but you should consider all of it when planning your job search. Here's a quiz that may help you take stock of your job search activity. Answer True or False for each of the following ten statements:

  1. I am getting at least 3 desired job interviews per month.
  2. I am having lunch or coffee with at least 20 employed people each month in order to expand my networking.
  3. I am confident in interviews and am asked back for second interviews at least one-third of the time.
  4. I am spending less than 10% of my job search time on the Internet.
  5. I am devoting >50% of my job search time to networking with employed people.
  6. I am following up with thank you notes, letters, and emails after the majority of my meetings, lunches, and coffees.
  7. I am confident that my resume presents me very positively and it clearly identifies my career objectives.
  8. I am mailing targeted letters to hiring authorities, following up effectively, and getting meetings.
  9. I have a detailed, written marketing plan that defines my target market, my unique value, and my desired goals.
  10. I have an overall strategy, I am proactively working my plan, and I know what I need to accomplish each week.

Score 1 point for every "True" answer.

1-4, a long search of 9-15 months is likely

5-6, an average search of 7-9 months is likely

7-8, doing well and likely to land in 3-6 months

9-10, doing great and likely to land in 1-3 months

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