For recent college graduates an offer letter can be just as coveted as a diploma. With a 4.8% unemployment rate, the class of 2015 is now trickling into the workforce, either starting jobs in their desired fields or taking whatever positions they can get.

According to data collected from LinkedIn during our research for the Most Entrepreneurial Colleges, the most popular field of work for recent college graduates is education. Out of the top 650 schools on FORBES’ Top Colleges list, 36% of the schools’ recent graduates identified themselves as part of the education sector.

“People with jobs in academia or related fields would fall under [the education listing],” says LinkedIn’s Kenly Walker. “It’s not uncommon for graduate students, residential advisers, etc., to also put these roles under experience, so their industry would appear as Education, as well.”

Jobs as teachers, education coordinators, and school administrators also fall under the site’s education category. Recent grads might find that working for their alma maters, continuing their education in graduate school, or going into the field of education itself is a natural next step following four years of undergraduate school and 13 years of primary and secondary school. In an uncertain job market, safety, or sticking with what they know, may be a comfortable route to other opportunities down the road.

Following education, sales and operations are the second and third most popular fields for recent grads. The remaining industries in the top 10 show a real diverse array of careers, from research and media and communications to healthcare services. Although positions in engineering, information technology and finance are typically considered the most desired entry-level jobs because of high starting salaries, only about 7%of recent graduates identify themselves in those industries.

This article was written by Natalie Sportelli from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.

I moved to Silicon Valley last year with the aim of finding a job at a high impact and high growth company. Knowing how talented the market is here, I was ready to face some challenges – I soon discovered that the challenges far exceeded my expectations. After a year of utilizing traditional tactics with dozens of companies and getting nowhere, I realized it was time to shift gears, so I used my skills as a marketer to create a campaign that would get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.

As the campaign reached a global audience, I finally had the opportunity to speak with companies I had been eyeing for so long. It was an odd shift from not getting any responses to my applications to suddenly having several interviews lined up in a day. Even more unusual was the fact that though I have interviewed dozens of candidates in recent years, I haven’t been interviewed for a job since I was a fresh grad, and it’s a completely different experience depending on which side of the table you’re on.

After two months of conversations with companies in a wide variety of verticals, there are some basic takeaways that I’m sharing with the aim of helping other candidates prepare for their interviews.

Prepare Your Digital Profile

A few years ago I was invited to give a university lecture about how to manage your personal brand in the digital age. While most of the data I presented there is outdated now, the key message is the same: most companies will search for information about you to get an idea of who you are beyond your resume.

• Search for yourself online and see what’s out there.
• Think from the company’s point of view and how the content will come across.
• Are there any changes you need to make to any of the content?

Prepare Your Story

When I worked in public relations, a part of my job was to think of what questions the press might ask around a specific campaign and to prepare the research for the answers in advance. The idea wasn’t to have well rehearsed talking points, but rather to make sure that whatever the question, the response would lead back to one unified story.

The same holds true for job interviews.

• Define the overall story of your career and where you would like it to lead to. (By way of full disclosure, I’ve never had an answer to the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” But I do know that I want to constantly be exploring and experimenting and to be doing cool things along the way. So while I might not have an answer to that question, I do have the story around it, which is what’s important).
• Predict some of the questions that you might be asked and take the time to write the answers down in advance. As you progress through interviews, revisit the answers and note how they change.
• Write down your proof points that would support each answer. This should be based on work you’ve already done and what you’ve already accomplished and how that ties into your overall story.

Take Notes

Taking notes during an interview has multiple benefits. First, it conveys the message that you’re paying attention. Second, it gives you the opportunity to write down questions or reminders without interrupting the flow of the conversation. Most importantly, though, the process of writing a few key points every few minutes will force you to reset the pace of the conversation. I know that I have a tendency to speak very quickly when I get too excited. While enthusiasm for a role or a company is appreciated, if the pace of a conversation goes too quickly, I worry that I’ll loose the extra few seconds I’ll need to form a fully thought through response.

Interview Them

When I arrived to San Francisco, friends told me it would take weeks until I would find an apartment. It took me 3 days, and the reason it was such an efficient process is because I had a checklist of the priorities I would need in an apartment, and a sublist of things I would like but were not necessary. I checked each apartment I found against that list, so it was easy to identifying something I liked when I found it. One year later I’m still very happy with the place I’m in.

Though my job hunt hasn’t been as efficient in time, I believe it’s important to utilize the same approach. Know what you want from the role you’re interviewing for, the team you’ll be working with, and the company. Understand for your own sake what it is that you’re looking for and remember that the interview process is a two way conversation so ask the relevant questions to make sure you see a fit for yourself within the company too.

Overall, one thing I know to be absolutely true, is that it is an emotionally challenging experience no matter where you are in your career. I hope I’ve helped to shed some light on a couple tactics that can make it smoother to navigate. Good luck!

For more insights from the campaign, and to learn how you can apply the lessons to your work, please visit www.nina4airbnb.com/whitepaper

For many businesses to continue to grow and thrive, it takes more than just excellent products and services. It takes building awareness and a loyal customer base. It also requires patience and resilience to make it through the difficult times. And it takes building a community of partners, contacts and allies for continued success.

There is no substitute for a great network, even as our definition of what makes a network becomes more elastic as our preferred ways of connecting and sharing information evolve over time and in response to new technology (Twitter follower? Facebook Friend? LinkedIn Connection?). Here are our 5 favorite tips for networking better this year to help you build that community.

1. Attend Events Across Industries

If you are looking to build a network in your local business community, don’t limit yourself to events related to your specific business type or industry. You want to broaden your potential network as much as possible and open your business to as many relevant customers as possible. Look for events in industries that are complementary to your type of business, or that also target the same type of customer as you based on geography or demographics. You’ll be more likely to find businesses willing to cooperate and work together, since you are not in direct competition with each other. More importantly, you never know whom your new contacts will know and this is the key to networking. There is enormous unknown potential in every new relationship.

2. Share Your Story and Listen to Theirs

All business owners and entrepreneurs have at least one thing in common: the courage to take that big risk for something they believe will be successful. Take the time to share your founder story with other business owners and learn about what motivated them to start their business. You may learn that you have a lot in common–similar challenges, suppliers, even customers. Exchanging stories is the first step to building a relationship that can help your business grow.

3. Reinforce an Offline Connection Online, and Vice Versa

Any time that you meet a new contact at a networking event, conference, or even the coffee shop, make sure to also connect with that person online. Reaching out via LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook is a great way to thank the person for their time and remind them of a few points from your conversation. The same advice works for online contacts: if you’ve made a new connection through LinkedIn, make the effort to have a phone call or meet in person to explore how you can work together to make each other’s businesses grow. Bonus tip: Make sure your company’s online presence is memorable and professional. Put your logo on your LinkedIn profile, company Facebook page, or Twitter page for a consistent look online.

4. Always Be Prepared

Make sure that every interaction is productive by being prepared. Have a stack of updated business cards with you at all times, and keep flyers or postcards with your latest offers or promotions handy as well. These critical marketing materials can be made quickly and affordably online with an online business card maker, so there’s no excuse for being unprepared. Even as our social and professional lives move more and more online, business cards are here to stay. So challenge yourself to share twice as many cards as you did last time. It’s also easy to stay on top of your online presence. Prepare yourself before releasing a new product, service, or offer to your customers. Usually when a business does something new, customers can have a fair amount of questions and feedback. Grab a friend or two to man the phones at your business or saddle up on your Facebook messages page to help handle the rush of comments. Releasing new products should get people excited about your business, not get you too stressed out.

5. Set Up a Next Step

It’s easy to lose momentum after a networking event; they can be overwhelming at times. But all these events can be worthless if you don’t make plans to communicate after the event is over. Make sure you can gather as many business cards as you hand out, and reach out to these people soon after the event closes. Stay on the top of their minds. Set a date in their calendar, whether it’s for tomorrow or two months from now. All of your networking efforts can be worthless if you don’t follow through. You can’t always depend on the other party to set up the next steps. Take control of the situation and make a name for your business.

This article was written by Dena Enos from Business2Community and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.

With social recruiting on the rise, job seekers are increasingly aware of the role their online profiles play in their professional lives. An inappropriate profile picture or sloppy grammar can be a potential turn-off for recruiters visiting your profile, just as your poor attempts at networking.  To maximize your chances for an exciting career, you should be aware of what the deal breakers and major faux pas on LinkedIn are – this is the social network chosen by the majority of recruiters. Here are all the dos and don’ts of networking on LinkedIn.

1. Don’t collect acquaintances

LinkedIn is not about popularity, but genuine professional relationships. That’s why the number of your acquaintances won’t impress anyone. It’s about the quality of interactions, not quantity. Instead of sending lots of generic messages to random people in hope that they add you to their networks, focus on these relationships that you consider valuable for reasons ranging from professional support to potential job opportunities. If you receive a request from someone you don’t know, don’t feel obliged to accept it, LinkedIn never sends information about your refusal to the sender.

2. Choose your groups carefully

The groups you’re a part of are an important section of your profile. Choose them carefully and pick only those that really correspond to your interests. If you’re not getting anything out of a group, don’t hesitate to leave.

3. Don’t be afraid to reach out to recruiters

Recruiters have profiles on LinkedIn precisely for networking and interacting with potential candidates. If you find someone who could connect you to interesting career opportunities, don’t be shy. Reach out in a meaningful way – write a concise note about yourself, your background and why you think you two should connect. A generic message will only leave a bad impression.

4. Take it slow

Whether it’s online or offline, creating new relationships takes time. Unfortunately, some eager LinkedIn users forget about it and, in the throes of their job seeking, start to expect too much in too little time. Build your relationships slowly, allowing the other party to gain confidence in you and your professionalism.

5. Don’t forget about privacy settings

Revamping your profile usually means that you’re on the lookout for new career opportunities – and that’s not something you want your colleagues or boss to know. Make sure to check your privacy settings. You may tick off the notification option when your profile is edited. If you’re following groups you want to keep private, such as a direct competitor or a recruiting firm, you can add these options too.

6. Always stay active

Even when you finally land your dream job, don’t just abandon your LinkedIn profile. Your personal branding needs to be consistent. With every post and share you’re actually creating your digital footprint, so make sure to continue it. Getting head-hunted by recruiters scanning your profile will only boost your confidence.

7. Don’t worry about being perceived as a stalker

What some professionals worry about is the fact that LinkedIn shows who viewed your profile. This is a good thing and it should never bother you that a managing director of your dream company will know that you checked his background. Everyone is expecting it and nobody will consider you annoying or stalkerish.

8. Do have a profile photo

Your profile is much more likely to be viewed if it includes a profile photo. Make sure it’s professional and shows only you – not your partner or child. It doesn’t have to be professional headshot, but it must be of high quality.

Thanks to LinkedIn, a variety of networking opportunities are now within your reach. If you play it right, you seriously stand a chance of landing your dream job.

This article was written by Monique Craig from Business2Community and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.

The 2015 Regional Hiring Outlook, a report and survey by recruiting firm The Execu|Search Group, shows a much improved job market, where employees may finally have the upper hand. If you’re looking for a job, it’s helpful to know what employers are focusing on so you can target your job search activity to meet their needs. 

Execu|Search: 63% of clients surveyed said their biggest challenge of 2015 will be finding qualified candidates.

Now that you know employers are concerned about finding qualified candidates, make it easy for them to assess your qualifications in all of your marketing, networking and interviewing. Make sure your resume and online profile include specific skills and measurable results. Lead with tangible examples when you describe what you do. When you research a specific job, talk to insiders for that company or at least the industry to find out what the main concerns are for that role. Then position your qualifications specifically to address those concerns.

Execu|Search: 65% of employers surveyed plan on putting more emphasis on employee training and retention in 2015.

If you’re employed, get a piece of this employer largesse. What skills training, certifications, conferences, professional memberships, or trade subscriptions would help you improve on your job? Even if the company doesn’t have a specific offering in place, propose it. If you’ve asked before, ask again. If you’re doing well, now that you know retention is top of mind for employers, let them know how they can retain you. If you’ve been eying a more flexible schedule, a stretch project, or access to other areas of the company, this is a good time to ask. (If you’re not doing well or don’t know how you’re doing, find out what you need to improve before asking. Retention incentives are always reserved for the best performers).

Execu|Search: 60% of employers surveyed plan to increase compensation for staff in 2015.

In my Seven Steps To Take Before You Ask For A Raise, I talk about the importance of market data. Make sure your employer knows that 60% of employers are planning compensation increases. (Your boss may even be grateful for this data point to help with his/her own compensation negotiation!) If you haven’t reviewed your compensation against the market norms in a while, now is the time to make sure you’re being paid competitively. Starting a new job is where many professionals get a big boost in compensation. If you want to stay put, you need to be proactive in keeping up with market rates.

Execu|Search: Companies should expect potential employees to receive multiple offers in 2015.

Of course, this is good news. However, if you want to get multiple offers, this means you need to manage multiple leads at the same time. Many job seekers make the mistake of pursuing only a handful of opportunities simultaneously. Even worse, when an offer looks imminent, many job seekers stop adding to their leads, instead focusing all of their efforts on the most promising one. But you won’t get multiple offers (and the increased leverage that come with it) unless you maintain multiple irons in the fire. Aim for 10 strong possibilities at any one time. If you’re employed, your current company is one lead. Don’t forget that it counts as a lead, but don’t rely on it exclusively.

Execu|Search: 80% of employers surveyed stated that personality fit was “critical” or “very important” in their hiring process, which has impacted hiring strategies.

Job search is about people and relationships. Are you likeable, engaging, enthusiastic, relatable? Sure you may be qualified technically, but do people want to be around you? This isn’t about being best friends with every employer and recruiter you meet. But people hire people that they want to work with, as much as hiring for skill or expertise.

This article was written by Caroline Ceniza-Levine from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.

People are learning about you online before they ever shake your hand. The second they know they are going to meet you or have a call with you, they’re going to type your name into Google. This makes your virtual brand more important than ever.  And it means you must be able to tell your story online in 3D, creating a dazzling, complete picture of who you are and what makes you great.

The best place to do this is in LinkedIn. It’s often the first place people go when they want to learn about you. Those who start their digi-sleuthing with Google will likely end up at your LinkedIn profile because it typically shows up at the top of your results.

Once they click on your LinkedIn page, your summary is the most prominent zone. It’s the ultimate place to showcase your story. In my previous post , I shared a three-step formula for building a stellar LinkedIn summary. But how do you know that it’s stellar? Does it tell an authentic and compelling story? Is it a jolt of caffeine or a serious sedative?

To ensure that you’re getting the most out of your summary, I’ve developed a Snooze Test, drawing on proven principles of personal branding. Start by reading your LinkedIn profile as if you were reading it for the first time, through the eyes of your audience. And read slowly; don’t skim. Then, for each of the following questions, give yourself a rating from 1 to 5, where 1 is ‘very little’ and 5 is ‘completely’. Keep track of your numbers so you can calculate a total score at the end.

1. Does the opening sentence, phrase or headline make you want to read more?
2. Is your profile authentic – accurate, real and precise?
3. Does it help you stand out from your peers?
4. Is it relevant – addressing the needs of the people you are trying to attract?
5. Is it compelling?  Does it provide interesting facts, figures and statements that make the reader want to get to know you?
6. Does it contain a mix of 70-80% professional content and 20-30% personal information (like your passions, interests, hobbies and life experiences)?
7. Does it tell people how you add value, going beyond simply listing what you have done?
8. Does it exude your personal brand attributes – those personality characteristics that make you YOU?
9. Is it pleasing to look at?  Did you create enough white space to break up the paragraphs?  Did you write impactful headlines for different content blocks?
10. Do you include some validation  (things like “People say I’m…” or a favorite quote or “The Association of XXX awarded me…”)?
11. Is it well-written and carefully proofed, with polished grammar, spelling and punctuation?
12. Does it include all the keywords for which you want to be known? This is vital for optimizing online searching.
13. Do you augment your summary with images, videos, presentations and documents that bring your message to life? LinkedIn allows you to upload multimedia “evidence” that sits right below your summary.

Now, total your score. If you scored between 60 and 65, bravo! Your story will attract the attention of those who need to know you. If you didn’t, there is room for improvement.

If you scored lower than 60, you likely want to spruce up your summary. If you scored lower than 40, you may prefer to start over. Use this step-by-step process, to document your story.

Do the writing off-line so you can upload your final Summary to your profile all at once. If you make a series of small changes in LinkedIn, your network will be alerted to every annoying iteration – unless you change your setting to prevent these notifications from being visible.

Once you refine your summary or create a new draft, you’re still not quite ready for prime time. Apply one final test before you upload it to your profile.

Identify three people who will provide you with honest feedback:

• a member of your target audience
• a mentor or coach who wants you to succeed and will provide honest feedback; and
• a personal friend or family member who knows you well

Once you get their feedback and make your final refinements, you can then upload your summary.

A bonus: The “test” provided here applies not only to your LinkedIn summary, but to all versions of your bio on various social media, your byline and your company intranet profile. Remember to update your story every time you have something new to add. It’s a great way to keep everyone current on the brand called you.

This article was written by William Arruda from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.

Attracting talent to your job at the right time – that’s recruiting. SmartRecruiters’ Data Scientist Kasia Senderowska conducted the ‘When to Hire’ study. Senderowska examined a randomized cross section of 60,000+ jobs in America and Canada within the SmartRecruiters system during 2014. The study focuses on six questions:

1. “What Days of the Week Do People Apply to Jobs?”
2. “What Days of the Week Do Companies Post Jobs?”
3. “What Time of the Day Do People Apply to Jobs?”
4. “What Time of the Day Do Companies Post Jobs?”
5. “How Quickly Do Candidates Apply?”
6. “What’s the Most Popular Day to Hire?”‘

Without further ado, let’s dig into the findings. During the job search, not all days are created equal. The beginning of the week has ambitious volume. Monday and Tuesday each have double the applicant volume of Saturday and Sunday.

Tuesday is the most popular day to post your job opening. Only 9% of jobs are posted on the weekend. Each weekday is within 17-19% of total job posting volume, which is not a large variation. But take a look at the graph above, Monday through Wednesday account for 53% of candidate volume. I would consider posting your job on Sunday night or Monday morning so that your first three days can reach the largest volume of job seekers.

Now, let’s dig further into the time of day. This graph is broken down by weekend, weekday, and overall average. Interestingly, on weekends job seeker volume steadily increases throughout the day, reaching a peak volume at 8:00 pm; whereas, during the week job seekers reach peak volume at 12:00 pm.

Companies on the other hand, post jobs in a manner that closely resembles traditional business hours. The vast majority of jobs are posted between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday. It’s interesting that we see a dip in job postings during lunch time because it’s the peak time for receiving job applications. Hiring managers cover a vast majority of job titles, which means hiring too often is treated as an afterthought. Notice the sharp uptick in job postings from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm as hiring managers attempt to squeeze recruiting into the end of the workday.

Across all jobs, 70% of candidates apply within the first 11 days. People who hire know that recruiting is all about timing. Staffing and HR find and apply to jobs faster than any other industry. Also notice that High Tech candidates (an in-demand demographic) is slower to apply to jobs. With High Tech, companies often open more sourcing channels, such as recruitment firms and employee referrals.

But what is recruiting leading up to? Making that next hire. 96% of hires are made during the week. And Monday is the most popular day to make a hiring decision. This makes sense to me, as starting a new chapter is your career or creating a new role is much like starting a new week. Also note Friday, is the lowest weekday by a wide margin. Have you ever hired on a Friday? What’s your favorite day to hire?

What do these ‘When to Hire’ graphs teach you? Lets keep the conversation going. You are welcome to republish any of these graphs on your blog or website with proper accreditation. If you have any data requests, tweet @SmartRecruiters.

Lets make a timely and data informed world of recruiting.

You may want to skip lunch before your next job interview.

Hungry people often feel like they deserve more than their peers, according to a new study by two researchers from Cornell University and Dartmouth College. That sense of entitlement could translate to the added chutzpah needed to convince a potential employer or boss to give you what you want, the researchers found.

“There are definitely situations where a little entitlement can be good,” Emily Zitek, assistant professor at Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and co-author the study, told The Huffington Post. “If being hungry is a good way for someone to be entitled, as the surveys showed, they can maybe skip lunch or skip breakfast or something.”

Perhaps this guy wolfed down a big meal before his job interview.

The researchers conducted two experiments using the same survey, which asked undergraduate students to agree or disagree on a scale of 1 to 7 with statements such as: “I honestly feel more deserving than others,” and “Things should go my way.” They were also asked to rank their hunger on the same 1-to-7 scale.

In the first experiment, they surveyed 103 students passing into and out of a campus dining hall, and the students to fill out an optional questionnaire of information on the back of the survey as a further judge of their generosity with time.

In the second experiment, they surveyed one group of participants who said they enjoyed pizza in a lab filled with the aroma of a frozen pie cooking in a nearby toaster oven. For comparison, a second group was surveyed in a lab without pizza.

In both instances, hungrier participants reported feeling more entitled and were more likely to refuse to help the researcher by answering the extra questions.

Feeling more deserving could boost a worker’s confidence when interviewing for a job or negotiating a salary, but Zitek warned that a growling stomach could intensify someone’s personality too much.

“If they’re too extreme, they could give a bad impression to the person who’s interviewing them,” she said. “You need to feel deserving, but if you’re over-the-top, the person who’s doing the interviewing may not like you.”

Zitek’s research cited earlier studies that found feeling more deserving could make you abrasive to co-workers and difficult to manage.

But a sense of privilege may have other benefits. Zitek is currently working on two more studies, which show that heightened entitlement correlates with personal creativity and with more successful negotiations.

“Entitlement leads to higher aspirations in negotiations,” she said of the preliminary findings of a new study with two Vanderbilt University researchers. “And higher aspirations can lead to higher outcomes.”

This article was written by Alexander C. Kaufman from the Huffington Post and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Learn more about SmartRecruiters, your workspace to find and hire great people.

Let’s face it: Your resume is the most valuable document of your professional life. Everyone from recent college graduates to experienced professionals will judged on this one piece of paper.

Interviews, job offers, and thousands of dollars hang on every word of your resume. It is imperative to have a resume that will cut through the noise and demonstrate your ability to perform in an extremely competitive job market.

The following list represents the 4 most important aspects of your resume:

1. Sell Yourself

Humans Resources departments will decide whether or not to give your candidacy a shot in less than 30 seconds. So, it crucial to answer one critical question: WHY SHOULD THEY HIRE YOU?
Your resume is your sales pitch.  You have to convince your prospective employer that you are worth their time.

Your resume needs to convey a sense of confidence about your ability to perform. Your resume needs to be a story that uses your skill set to demonstrate your likelihood of success in a new job.

2. Make Your Past Experiences Relevant

Certain skills, such as sales, marketing, and management, can be transferred to different responsibilities. The same techniques that you used to sell steak knives can be used to sell computer equipment.

Your resume must demonstrate that you have the ability to transfer the skills that you have developed in your past experiences into your new career.

For example, if you are a recent college graduate and ran a landscaping company in college with a staff of 5 people, it is imperative to convey the leadership, sales, and management skills that you obtained during that time on your resume.

3. Prioritize Your Resume

This may sound obvious, but it is overlooked in almost every single resume that we work on. You have less than 30 seconds to make an impression.

Ask yourself what you have accomplished in the past that can be appealing to a prospective employer in less than 30 seconds.

Put your most relevant accomplishments at the top of your resume.

4. Keep It to One Page

If your resume passes the “30 second test,” then you have one page to convince your prospective employer that you are worth contacting.

Human resources departments don’t want any “fluff” in your resume. They just want the facts.

Your entire professional career will be judged on one piece of paper. 30 seconds will determine if your resume is worth their time, and then you have one page to make them want to learn more.

This article was written by Joe Maddalone from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Learn more about SmartRecruiters, your workspace to find and hire great people.

Lately, there has been a spike in the number of articles that have been written on networking to find a job. While this is not a new concept, the overarching view of networking does bear some fundamental flaws.

Unfortunately, the majority of Americans lack critical thinking skills and don’t consider the source of their information. If you were to take an average income of the authors, business professionals and recruiters who consistently stress this job search tactic, you would be shocked.

As the CEO of a recruiting firm, KAS Placement, for the last decade, I can firmly give you two facts. The first is that networking can be a valuable job search tactic, yet it’s highly difficult and intricate. Only about 1% – 2% of the job seekers whom I come across are savvy enough to pull it off.

The second is that it is easier, less frustrating and more satisfying to work your way to the top and become the person people with whom people want to network. If you wish to gain the respect of successful professionals, it’s crucial to understand the reasons why networking is mostly ineffective.

1. People are concerned with their own needs. In order to motivate and persuade, there must be a mutual benefit. The majority of individuals who network discuss what they want, rarely touching upon the ways they can help the individual with whom they wish to become aligned.

Prior to approaching someone, it would behoove you to write down or make mental notes of the ways in which you could benefit the other individual. If you can’t formulate concrete ways in which you can assist, you should not be attempting to contact that person.

2. Socially speaking, people network with those who are in the same financial and professional circles as they are. While sites such as LinkedIn have attempted to break down the barrier between these classes (and to a small extent have), the majority of the people don’t use the sites correctly.

Intelligent networking involves being able to accurately identify the people who can help you. They may be different than you think.

For instance, if you wanted an entry-level marketing job, it would be most apt to network with the HR person who recruits your age group rather than approach the director of marketing.

3. To intelligent people, “networkers” often come across as manipulate, unoriginal and lazy. The majority of individuals who have gained status and success have done so by working extremely hard at their craft. They didn’t “know” anyone.

How to Really Find the Job You Want

If you really want to find a great job and become successful, begin by specifically defining what type of job you desire. If you don’t know where you want to go, you won’t know how to get there.

Once your goals are clearly defined, make a conscious decision that you will work as hard as it takes to get there. Resiliency is key to lasting success.

Then determine what needs to be learned in order to become phenomenal at it. Use your free time to read books on business and interpersonal relationships. Study the biographies of those who have done very well.

As you are becoming more competent at what you do and expanding your knowledge in key areas, begin mapping out the people whom you can help by putting that knowledge and expertise to work.

By bringing tangible skills to the table, you can now help others and can effectively begin to network. People who can make a difference in your career are concerned more about what you can do rather than who you are.

Ken Sundheim is the CEO of KAS Placement, a New York City based executive search firm. On the topic of job search, interviewing and recruitment, Ken has been published on Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Monster, Career Builder, Recruiter.com and Yahoo! 

SmartRecruiters is your workspace (including the Recruiter Marketplace) to find and hire great people.