Employer View: Build Relationships Before You Need a Job

>> You need to know no less than 15 to 20 people in the field that you're trying to get into. It's so difficult to get yourself outside of the those resume banks where there's 200 people applying for the job and you just hope that you're one of the top 20 that they look at and hope that it catches the attention of maybe a recruiter's eye. The idea is to grow your network and nourish those relationships so that people know you before you ask them if they can recommend you for a job. So connect with them beforehand, spend time with them before you are asking for anything. So just schedule time with those individuals. Send them a note not asking for things but just checking in. Go to lunch, schedule coffees, all those things. And then when it does come time for you to need a job and you reach out to say, "Hey, Jameel, I'm graduating and looking for a job," I can say, "Oh, yes, I can recommend you. Because I actually know who you are," versus, "Hey, person who took my card a year and a half ago, I never talked to you again." I can't really recommend you because I have no idea who you are or what your work product looks like.