My Resources
I. Introduction
In the previous unit you decided the type of employment you would be good at, set some goals that will help you get the job you want, and determined a plan of action for achieving your goals. In this unit you will learn about the resources available to help you.
A recent survey found that only 14% of new jobs are found through want ads, and only 13% through employment agencies. The most fruitful sources of new jobs are networking (36%) and contacting potential employers (30%). As you look for employment, financial aid, or self-employment, use all available resources, but concentrate your efforts in the most productive areas. (See J. Michael Farr, Mike Farr's Online Get a Job Workshop,[2001]]
Because networking leads to many new jobs, the main purpose of this unit is to help you understand what a network is and how to develop one. You will begin to identify the resources already available to you and make a plan to begin contacting them in order to find even more resources.
Because networking leads to many new jobs, the main purpose of this unit is to help you understand what a network is and how to develop one. You will begin to identify the resources already available to you and make a plan to begin contacting them in order to find even more resources.
2. Build a Network
A "network" consists of the people you know who can either help you directly or lead you to someone else or to more information. You actually already have the beginnings of a strong network, and it has the potential to become broader than you might think, because everyone you know may know someone else who can help you. For example, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have an established network of home or visiting teachers, quorum or Relief Society leaders, members of the bishopric, and other members of your ward or branch. When you contact people you know and ask them for ideas and names of people they know, you have begun "networking".
2. People you Know
Use the network list on the next page to begin identifying resources in your network. List as many people as you can think of and information about how to contact them. (You can start with the names you wrote on your action plan on page 13). Then prioritize your list, giving highest priority to those people who are most likely to be able to help you achieve your employment goals. In the "Priority" column of the network list , write A for people who are likely able to help you directly; write B for people you think might be able to help you directly; write C for people who can help you indirectly. (Appendix B has a copy of this list that can use to make photocopies.) If you need help thinking of names for your list, think of people in the following categories;