You've probably noticed that unemployment has been on the rise lately. The national unemployment rate is up to 6.5%, and here in Austin it has grown to 4.7%.

 

It's certainly noticeable. I'm seeing more resumes come across my desk than I've ever seen in the past. Not to mention quite a number of personal friends who have found themselves in the ranks of the unemployed.

 

At a time like this many people are realizing just how important networking really is. Especially when they find themselves without a job knowing that the majority of job opportunities are found through networking and not through traditional means.

 

This has prompted me to start a series on job networking and career networking. The distinction being that job networking is an active search for a new position through relationships. Career networking is for those with a job who are looking to advance inside their organization or move up the ladder via another employer. There are many similarities between the two, but there are also quite a few differences.

My goal with this series is to create a truly valuable resource for those in a career transition, and a resource for their friends to be able to refer them to so that they can easily add some value.

 

I've already received an incredible Guest Blog post that I'm formatting now about how a friend of mine nearly landed a real job opportunity through his use of Twitter.

 

The following posts are currently in the queue over the next few weeks: 

What's missing? What do you need to know about career or job networking? Do you have your own networking success story? I'd love to have you as a guest blogger to share your stories and suggestions with others.

 

Happy Networking!

 

Scott Ingram