☕ 37 Ways to Meet People Who Can Refer You to Jobs

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Ideas on how to grow your job search network today.

37 Ways to Meet People Who Can Refer You to Jobs
Photo by Rawpixel.com

Networking is often the best way to find a job, but growing a network takes time. You really need to build it before you need it.

Employed or not, spend at least 30 minutes per day actively reinforcing your brand and growing your network through the activities listed below.

Have you been to a local networking event in the past month?


How to network for jobs and career success

The key question to ask is not “what can you do for me?” but rather “what can I do for you?” The more you give to your network, the more you can get from it.

1. Get an email address that's easy to remember

A good format is firstname.lastname@gmail.com (or Yahoo.com, Outlook.com, etc.). This address should be for your job search only.

2. Choose your personal tagline

Find a 3-4 word phrase that relates to who you are professionally and puts you in a positive light. You want people to think that phrase when they hear your name, and everything you do work-wise should match your tagline.

Use it in your email signature and begin by saying it when people ask what you do. Get ideas by seeing how people describe you in recommendations or reference letters.

3. Prepare an elevator pitch

In only 30 seconds, you need to be able to describe who you are and which problems your expertise can solve. Practice until it comes naturally. Tweak as you go, judging by listener response.

4. Build an impressive web profile

A recommendation-filled LinkedIn profile also impresses by showcasing your accomplishments, successes and even your above elevator pitch.

LinkedIn will also give you a short, easy-to-remember vanity url to put in your email signature, on your resume and business cards, encouraging people to connect with you. Use your above personal tagline and job search email address.

5. Become a LiON

Being a LinkedIn Open Networker makes it easier to grow your number of LinkedIn connections to the top level of “500+” but the looseness of these connections means you shouldn't expect much from them. Still, all it takes is one good connection for this to be worthwhile.

6. Be active on LinkedIn Groups

Hang out in popular, local Groups related to your profession, responding to questions and drawing other LinkedIn users to notice you.

ideas to grow your job search network right now 1

7. Be active on Twitter

Take a few moments to flesh out your profile, putting your personal tagline in the Bio box and customizing the background image. Discover more people to follow by browsing the who your friends and industry influencers follow.

Download The Ultimate Twitter Job Search Guide

8. Create a Facebook Page

Use Facebook for more than staying in touch with friends and family. A 2017 survey conducted for Facebook claims that “one in four people in the US said they searched for, or found a job using Facebook.”

The way how to network for a job on Facebook is separately from your personal profile, use a Facebook Page to promote yourself professionally, giving Facebook users a place to follow you as an expert in your field. Then, interact in Facebook groups and on other relevant pages while posting as your Page instead of your personal account.

9. Carry business cards

Have business cards with your personal tagline and contact information to give out to potential business contacts. Try to always leave a note on the back before handing over your card. For example, write where you met the recipient (for them to remember later). I use and recommend Zazzle business cards.

10. Ask for referrals when handing over business cards

People are more likely to respond about job leads at other companies than if you ask directly about open positions in their company. Give them extra cards if they have any potential referrals to put you in contact with.

11. Use calling cards

Calling cards are for non-business occasions. They're like a business card, but with personal information. The novelty aspect alone will leave a good impression.

12. Join real-world business networks and chambers of commerce

You want people in your industry to notice you. Find local networks by googling “business network” and the name of your city.

13. Join general purpose business social networks

Besides LinkedIn, there are other networks such as Xing and Viadeo. Use the one that is most popular in your local industry.

14. Join industry-specific social networks

In many cases, these are business social networks created on the Ning platform. Use Ning's search to find relevant networks or start a Ning network yourself.

15. Start blogging about your profession

Blogging is a terrific way to not only grow your network and show off your expertise while helping others, but also to attract job offers.

16. Follow industry blogs

Both big and small, subscribe and comment on them so that their bloggers discover and interact with you, especially if you have your own blog too. It's better to get a lot of attention from 10 small blogs than no attention on 2 big ones. And a good way to find and follow them is using my.alltop.com (hat tip to Jeff Gillis for that idea)

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17. Participate in industry discussion forums and mailing lists

Become the expert that people want to hear from on the topics you specialize in.

18. Become a member of professional associations

Every market has a group of people who are creating the standards and organizing member professionals. Being part of such groups can net you recognition from across the industry.

19. Create an industry newsletter

Become a trusted source of information. Create a newsletter for an industry niche that doesn't have one. Or, become a contributor to an existing newsletter, with a byline explaining how to reach out to you.

20. Go to industry conferences

Once there, make time to meet people and exchange business cards. Conferences are also a great time to finally meet people face-to-face after having met online.

21. Attend local (speed) networking events

Have lots of business cards with you and a polished elevator pitch.

22. Organize informal industry events

Coordinate your own launch parties, anniversaries, expert speakers, you name it.

If you choose the right type of event and promote it well, the success will carry over to your personal network and people will want you to do it all again so that they can bring along other contacts who missed out.

23. Bring friends along

Whatever kind of event you attend, go with friends. Split up to network separately and later compare notes.

24. Join a job search support club

Also called job clubs or job search clubs or groups. Network with like-minded people. Commiserating is a great conversation starter.

25. Volunteer

Meeting new people is one of the best reasons why job seekers should volunteer. If there aren't many opportunities locally through e.g. religious institutions or NGOs, find them online using a site like Idealist.org.

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26. Join a gym

A great place to network with people across different industries and positions, there are also many other reasons job seekers should exercise regularly. Here are 10 reasons to work out on your job search and here are 10 more reasons.

27. Get a coach

Among the many benefits of having a job search coach or a career coach: they'll be able to guide you to even more ways to grow your network.

28. Find a mentor or mentoring community

Look for people who have achieved your goals and can help you achieve similar success. Take your mentor out for lunch and pick their brain.

29. Do information interviews

This is a great way to get your foot in the door, and you'd be surprised how often an info interview can lead to a job, even in a different department or company.

30. Email friends and family

Get help from people who want to help you by default. Ask them to put you in contact with anyone that can help your job search.

31. Talk to people you see regularly

Neighbors, parents at your kids' school, taxi drivers. Cast your net as wide as possible.

32. Offer a cash bounty

Use it as a way to crowdsource your job search.

Mention the bounty in an email to your personal contacts, and ask them to forward your message to relevant contacts of their own, for whom the cash prize could be a big motivator.

33. Join an alumni / veterans' jobs network

Placing alumni in jobs is usually a major goal of university or college alumni networks and also military veterans' associations.

34. Send updates to your contacts

If they don't hear from you, they'll just assume you found a job, so nudge people in your network from time to time. A simple “any way I can help?” is a great way to stay in touch and not be forgotten.

35. Keep track of your contacts' needs

Fill those needs whenever you can. The more you give, the more you'll get. Here are another 9 ways to keep value in your network relationships (lower half of the article).

36. Always follow up

Whether to confirm a referral or send over a link to an article you discussed, find a good reason to follow up with new contacts before they forget about you, which is usually within 24-48 hours.

37. Use thank you notes

Always take the time necessary to appreciate the people in your network. Just because people are happy to help doesn't mean you should take their help for granted. Handwritten thank you notes, perhaps on a postcard, will stand out more than a quick email but even that will still be noticed in a positive way.

Other takes

Bonus: Networking For Job Search & Success

The best way to build a network is to give before you get.

Subscribe to JobMob via email and follow me on Twitter for the best job search networking tips you can use right now.

Jacob Share

Job Search Expert, Professional Blogger, Creative Thinker, Community Builder with a sense of humor. I like to help people.

This Post Has 82 Comments

  1. Lindsay Olson November 4, 2008 Reply

    These are all great reminders of what we can do to increase our visibility and personal brand. I think the most important point to reiterate is spend at least 30 minutes a day building your network – online or offline – consistency is key to building a power network.

  3. Leonard November 4, 2008 Reply

    Linkedin was added to the About.com Top 10 Employment site list with 2 other sites but linkedin is still the only social netwoking site on the list. 3 newest job sites on top list are:

    http://www.linkedin.com (professional networking)
    http://www.indeed.com (aggregated job listings)
    http://www.realmatch.com (matches you to the perfect job)

    Good luck to all those searching for jobs.

  4. Jacob Share November 4, 2008 Reply

    Lindsay- you said it. Building a valuable network takes time because growing good relationships takes time.

    Leonard- thanks for the information.

  6. Chad Levitt November 5, 2008 Reply

    Excellent post!

    Networking is like the famous Field of Dreams movie quote — “If you build it, they will come.”

  7. Holly November 6, 2008 Reply

    These are all great ideas. I work for a staffing company, Hollister(www.hollisterstaff.com) so I’m always looking for ideas on ways myself and my clients to grow their network. I like how you included offline and online ideas. I’ll be sure to pass some of these ideas along.

  8. Jacob Share November 7, 2008 Reply

    Chad- you said it.

    Holly- on my first job search in Israel in 2001, I completely ignored the offline world pre-interview stage and I paid for it dearly. It’s so easy to get stuck in front of your computer nowadays that people forget what it was like before or they don’t even know. For example – when no one else is faxing, your faxed CV will stand out.

  9. Holly November 7, 2008 Reply

    Chad – you’re absolutely right, it is very easy to get caught up in a solely online job search. I think now, all too often, people tend to forget the importance of making an impression on person.

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  11. Tim Tyrell-Smith November 8, 2008 Reply

    Very helpful post. Thanks! I hadn’t heard of TweetLater yet. Just signed up . . .

  12. Tim Tyrell-Smith November 8, 2008 Reply

    Sorry for the extra post – had my contact info incorrect . . .

  13. Jacob Share November 8, 2008 Reply

    William- thanks for following me, and I appreciate the link. I’m sure a site like yours will only be more and more useful for people in the coming months, but some of your advice will be appreciated even when times are “good”. It’s all relative.

    Tim- glad to hear the post helped you out. TweetLater is definitely one of my Twitter favorites right now.

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  20. Bob Beaudine February 9, 2009 Reply

    I would also suggest that you Reconnect and Reinvest in those you know. You alrady know everyone you need to know.

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  30. Jody McLeod January 26, 2010 Reply

    Many of these I have heard of before, but some are new ideas to me, and excellent, to boot! It is nice to have them all in once place like this for easy access. Thanks!
    .-= Jody McLeod´s last blog article was You have found me! =-.

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  64. Jim Niemela September 22, 2013 Reply

    Thanks for the tips! Those are excellent ideas on growing your job search network.

  65. Kate September 29, 2013 Reply

    Remember, you only need to meet one person who can change everything for the better.

  66. Steve Brady March 21, 2015 Reply

    Great tips. The one about a professional sounding email is one I recommend to clients regularly.

    Surprising how many people still have emails of the supercool532@hotmail variety.

  67. Jeff Gillis March 21, 2015 Reply

    Great tips!

    A way that helps me keep track of industry blogs as you mentioned is: Alltop.com

    It’s basically a blog aggregator and groups them into categories. You can then create your own personalized grouping. They call it “my.alltop”.

    It makes it way easier to keep track of everything going on in your industry…

  68. Jacob Share March 22, 2015 Reply

    Steve- that’s actually not so bad an email address. At least it doesn’t contain a drug or sex reference

    Jeff- good tip, added it to the article and credited you

  70. sam May 27, 2016 Reply

    Thanks for the tips. From experience and observing others, I see that these only work if the person you are trying to help and build a relationship with actually has the simple decency to reply back and maintain touch afterwards for a sustainable relationship which networking is all about.

    The most hurtful aspect less spoken of which has given false hope to many is the unfortunate reality of all steps usually taken by gold-hearted, sincere and highly professional people, but unfortunately others be it people that are senior, peers or junior for no clear reason not responding back or as bad later after a bond established immaturely, passively stopping response and worse Facebook unfriending for no reason (experienced a former supervisor who had a usual smooth connection with one do).

    What are instances you recommend to focus on where the other person reached out to will be seen surely to respond back and can maintain touch accountably? Just do not see it as right when one person makes the time with sincerity and interest in the other and the other won’t give a chance or stop responding back seen as rude, cold and for no reason. Where is the law of karma and decency truly?

  73. Jacob Share March 15, 2018 Reply

    Just did a complete refresh of this article 🎀

  74. Sultan Giasuddin March 16, 2018 Reply

    It’s a wonderful appropriate guidelines for job searchers and hunters.

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