Adams & Garth Blog

Most Harrisonburg job seekers spend the majority of their time combing through classified ads and the Internet looking for good job opportunities. However, statistics show that more people land jobs through networking than through reading the classifieds.

So how can you leverage the power of networking to land that job and get ahead? Here are some tips:

Get connected.
With today’s social media tools, such as Facebook, it’s so easy to get in touch and remain connected with former co-workers, college classmates, and other colleagues. They may be working for a company who’s hiring, or may know someone who’s looking for someone just like you.

Talk to everyone, wherever you go.
It doesn’t matter if you’re at a cocktail party, wedding, business seminar, or on a plane, you never know who you’re going to meet if you just put in a little effort to talk to people.

Ask lots of questions.
Most everyone likes to talk about themselves. So when you’re networking, ask lots of questions. Not only will you build stronger relationships with your network of connections, but you might uncover a nugget of information that could help you land your next job.

Be a good listener.
Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question and then starts looking around the room, not paying any attention to your answer? Well…guess what? Other people hate it when you do the same to them. So be a good listener. Ask pointed questions and listen with interest (whether authentic or not) as someone responds.

Create an elevator speech.
Create and practice a little 30-60 second overview of who you are and what you do for a living. So when someone asks that inevitable question – “what do you do?” – you have a strong and clear response.

Hand out business cards.
Make sure you always have a stack of business cards with you wherever you go. Also, get comfortable with handing them out.

Join a club.
Getting involved in a club or volunteering with an organization is a great way to network. It’s best if you join an association connected with your job interests, but not necessary.

If you’re searching for a new job opportunity in Harrisonburg, or anywhere in Central Virginia, please contact Adams & Garth. As a staffing agency serving Harrisonburg and Central Virginia, we know many of the top employers in the area and can give you access to job opportunities you won’t read about on the classified pages.

Some people seem to be able to make more money, get promoted faster, and become the “go to” person at their company regardless of the economy. Why is that? And what can you do to consistently achieve success? Here’s some insight:

Add value.
This is the most powerful trait an employee can possess. This means that instead of fixing that filing error, you will actually create a new filing system that helps to avoid future mistakes.

You also need to become the person that your boss knows they can hand a task off to and that you will complete that task accurately and on time, with no loose ends.

Become an expert.
Whether it’s reading an industry journal every week, or going to school to earn an MBA, it’s important to always be learning. So, ask yourself, what subject can you become an expert in for your employer?

Also, make sure your boss knows about your endeavors so that you’re rewarded appropriately at your next performance review.

Be consistent.
Be on time to work everyday. Be consistent in your performance. Be there for your employer. He or she will take notice.

Maintain a positive attitude.
A successful person sees an opportunity where someone else might see a problem. A negative attitude can be limiting, so try to maintain a positive attitude at work, no matter how tough things get. Positive words can be very powerful when communicating with your boss and co-workers.

The bottom line is that by following these tips, you can make yourself more valuable to your employer – which could lead to a bigger raise or faster promotions at your job.

If you’re currently looking for work, we want to know! As a Central Virginia staffing agency, we help candidates from Culpeper and Staunton to Harrisonburg and Lynchburg find rewarding job opportunities. And we’d like to help you.

Take a look at our current openings or contact us today to learn more.