10 Key People You Need To Have In Your Network For Your Career Success

It is easy for job seekers to begin to assume that the creation of jobs starts and ends online. In fact, the majority of available jobs are not posted online. In most cases, those in positions to hire receive a list of candidates referred to them from inside-or from within their network-before the job is even officially posted. Therefore, in this labor market, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. As such, networking with personal and professional contacts needs to be at the core of your hunt. It has proven to be an extremely effective approach time and again. But it takes effort, along with some forethought. Who should know that you’re looking for a job? Call them? What events are happening where you can make some new contacts? Go there. Keep these tips in mind as you network your way to employment. It is important to have the two Q’s as you build out your network: quality and quantity, for you to have a well-rounded network. But, do you know the right people? 1. The Mentor:This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to have. You can learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Heed their wisdom and experience. This relationship offers a unique perspective because they have known you through several peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve. 2. The Coach:The coach is someone who comes in at different times in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached. 3. The Connector:This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. As soon as they come across something related to you, they are sending you an e-mail or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities most people would over look. 4. The Industry Insider:This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what’s happening now and what the next big thing is. Invite them to be a sounding board for your next innovative idea. 5. The Trendsetter:This is someone outside of your chosen industry that always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic you find interesting. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark innovation via the unconventional. It will also help you keep your conversations interesting. 6. The Idealist:This is the person in your network you can dream with. No matter how “out there” your latest idea is, this is the person that will help you brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without judgment, they are focused on helping you flush out your dreams in high definition, even if you don’t have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen. 7. The Realist:On the flip side you still need the person who will help you keep it real. This is the person who will give you the raised eyebrow when your expectations exceed your effort. These are not people who knock down your dreams rather they challenge you to actively make your dream happen. 8. The Visionary: Visionary people inspire you by their journey. They are similar to the Idealist, but the visionary can help you envision an actual plan to reach your goal. One personal encounter with this type of person can powerfully change the direction of your thinking and life./ 9. The Partner:You need to have someone who is in a similar place and on a similar path to share with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a person you can share the wins and woes with. Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information. 10. The Wanna-be:This is someone you can serve as mentor to. Someone you can help shape and guide based on your experiences. One of the best ways to tell you understand something is to be able to explain it to someone else. And sometimes, one of the best motivators for pushing through obstacles and hardship is knowing someone is watching. Networking is about building relationships, not just creating lists but developing a trust between people that lasts beyond today’s job search. The trick is to make sure you are building a diverse network by adding people from different industries, backgrounds, age groups, ethnic groups, etc. that fit into the roles listed above. Serious about building a strong professional network that can actually provide the leverage you need to make progress at work? Evaluate your current network and get started filling in the gaps.