Today we have a guest editorial as Steve is away on vacation.

You often hear about how important it is to network with other people. I would guess many of you might be more introverted like I am and networking isn’t something you enjoy or are great at. I wanted to share an experience I recently had where reaching out to my network brought me to my new job. It is important to realize your network isn’t just your professional connections, but also your friends and family too.

In the middle of April this year I found myself in need of finding a new job. I started by updating my resume (CV for all you non U.S. people). I updated my LinkedIn profile. I started to apply for jobs I found on the different job sites (dice.com, indeed.com, etc.)  Recruiters started to contact me. I emailed a number of people (friends, family, etc.). This was NOT a mass mail email, but an individualized email, asking how they were doing and letting them know I was looking for a new job.

Time went on, and a week went by. I continued to apply for jobs and talk to recruiters. I did some phone interviews. Then a friend of mine, who I had sent an email to, responded that he had a buddy, that was a recruiter, named Jim. This didn’t seem like a good fit since Jim the recruiter worked for a contracting company. I did contracting for a number of years a while back ,and I was not in a hurry to go back into it. I was looking for a full time permanent position. Still, I decided to talk with Jim.

Well, it was quite the interesting conversation. We had both gone to the same University and graduated the same year. We studied different subjects, so we didn’t have any classes together. Still it was a good conversation, but I didn’t expect it to lead to anything.

Jim decided to pass me on to his coworker, Heidi. Well, Heidi just happened to be in the position of trying to find someone to fill a full time permanent job that had just come across her desk. This only happens once or twice a year for her. As she looked at my experience she realized I was a perfect fit. She contacted me, and we met for coffee. We both came to the realization that I was a really good fit for the position. I was able to do 5 interviews over the next week or so, which ended with a job offer that I accepted.

I have been at this new job for a few months now and I still love it. It really is a great fit for me. Still, I wonder how easy it would have been to not reach out to more than my professional network. To not let people know I was looking for a new job. To decide I was not interested in talking with a recruiter with a contract company. I could still be looking for my next job instead of enjoying this new one I now have.

Share an experience where networking helped get you where you are today.