Really, it may be hard to understand or even do, but asking and looking for a job is getting in your way and it does not work.

You can look online thru Careerbuilder, Monster, Ladders and you’ll see lots of job openings, but I’m willing to bet for the most part that you won’t see a job that really excites your or if you apply for any of these jobs you’re not likely to get a phone call, let alone an interview or a pay check from them.

You can use LinkedIn, SimplyHired, Indeed or any of the other job aggregator sites out there and you’ll get the same result.

Go ahead and troll all of the local company websites. Many post jobs all the time. There is little to no chance any of them are real (current) or that you’ll get a chance to interview for any of them.

Here are a few reasons I am willing to bet looking for a job is not going to work for you –

1. >80% of the job openings are not listed on any of these sites.
2. Companies list job openings on their websites only after they have either found someone on staff to promote up or a new candidate thru other means.
3. You don’t know the right person and they don’t know you.
4. Everyone else is doing the exact same thing.

So – how are you going to find a job? It’s not hard, but it’s way different than most people are willing to do.

You have to Network your way into a conversation with the right person.

Thru out this blog I share ways to Network for Mutual Benefit®. Take a stroll thru the site and you’ll see what I am talking about.

Networking is a life skill that when learned and done properly will take you to that next great job.

It’s important to know that “Networking is finding, developing and nurturing relationships that mutually move people forward thru life.” If you think and live this way, you will discover the hidden job that is waiting for you and then some.

Networking will help you to meet new people, different people, people from your past and people you never thought you would ever talk with. Meeting these folks and having good open conversations with them will open the door for you to build a relationship, however simple, and then to share with them what you are trying to do. After creating a relationship and once they realize that you only want to meet others who could possibly help you, they will likely think of the next person for you to meet. That next conversation could be with someone who has an idea of a possible job or yet someone else for you to meet on this journey. Eventually you will have the right conversation with the right person and discover the right job.

Not by asking for a job, but instead asking, “Who do you think I should meet that I can help and who may have other ideas for me while I am on my job search?”

You know what happens when you ask someone for a job. Think about it, if asking for a job worked, no one would be unemployed. So stop asking and looking for a job.

Start looking for someone new to meet and ask, “How can I help you and who do you think I should meet next.”

It will work and while doing this, you’ll build a stronger broader set of connections.

Keep looking for a job and let me know when you get one.

Stop looking for a job and start networking. Let me know what this does for you.