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If you were to ask a recruiter for tips on how be successful in getting a job, they will probably say that having a good resume, great qualifications, required & relevant experiences and a good cover letter will at least get you an interview. This is partly true. What the recruiters left out is the vetting part of your personality and character.
For decades, or maybe even more, people have been successful in getting their feet into companies partly through personal referrals. If you think of it, that is the purpose of having referees and having interviews.
Interviews: The purpose of having an interview is to assess the way you present yourself, your character and the way you carry yourself.
Referees: The aim of conducting referee’s checks is to get an idea how the candidates behave on a daily basis in professional settings and as well as getting an idea of their performance and productivity.
Personal Referrals Vs Professional Referrals
Professional Referrals
Both types of referrals can be extremely beneficial in successfully obtaining a job but on their own, they both are lacking. Professional Referrals are very good at getting a fleeting sense of how a candidate worked, how they cope under stress & pressure and also how they behave in a setting where they are required to interact with their peers & clients. At the end of the day, having a candidate who is extremely productive and efficient at completing tasks, while lacking the social skills may results in tainting the mood at work and projecting a negative vibe to your clients, which may end up being detrimental to your business by making your current clients/customers dissatisfied and scaring any potential clients/customers away.
Personal Referrals
On the other hand, personal referrals ensure that the candidate has been vetted by the referrer for an extended amount of time, who would have also got to know the candidate in various social and personal settings, leading the referrer to envision the referred candidate to be a perfect cultural fit for both the position and the company. The downside of personal referrals is that the referrer would most of the time not have a clear idea of the referred candidate’s professional skills, efficiency, productivity and work experiences. On top of it, should the referred candidate not be performing well in the new job, the employer might even reproach the referrer, possibly causing him or her to lose credibility at eyes of the employer.
How does our Professional Networking Site bridge the gap?
We would like to highlight the importance of following our community guidelines to ensure that all our members experience safe and respectful interactions on our platform.
We bridge the gap by allowing the members to build their professional profiles with a personal touch.
Why do you need to network?
Some people are happy with what they have, and that is perfectly fine. For those who want to advance their careers, change careers or be successful at obtaining a job, networking is the way to go.
Networking will help you to:
- Grow your profile
- Help you build confidence
- Grow your professional and personal circle
- Be remembered by the recruiter
- Gain advice and insights
- Progress in your chosen profession
We understand that not everybody is a natural at networking, that is why we have listed the following steps to help you bridge the gap and in the process build a professional network on our platform.
First step is to ensure that your profile is complete. List your skills, experiences, projects and portfolios. If you are unsure on how to do so, you can always refer to this article. In saying that, we make sure that you fill them out when you first log in.
Step two is to add a little bit of yourself to your profile, such as your favourite quote/s and some of your favourite pictures or videos. You can even make a slideshow of your favourite pictures. This way, the recruiter will be able to see your professional profile as well as getting a glimpse of the person you are, which could help tip the balance in your favour.
Step three is to connect with other members who might potentially help you advance your career or assist in getting you a job. These people could be and are not limited to career coaches, recruiters, startups and business owners, managers and more. When connecting with them, we would recommend you sending them a polite message to introduce yourself and make sure that they know what you are looking for, see below sample.
Hello “Sam”,
I hope you are well and thank you for being part of my network.
I thought I would send a quick introduction message. I am currently in the process of looking for opportunities in the childcare sector. It would be great if you could keep me in mind for any upcoming vacancies.
You are most welcome to view my profile where I have listed my skills, experiences and a bit about myself. Should you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind Regards
Dave Smith
Should you receive a message back, you are most welcome to engage in a professional manner. In some cases, members may not be able to message back due to being busy, not being logged in on the platform regularly, or for other unknown reasons. Regardless of the reasons, do not let this deter you from building a professional network.
Keep connecting and engaging with others because the bigger your professional network gets, the more exposure your professional profile will receive and the easier it will be for us to bring you opportunities.