I’m sure everyone has heard the saying “Its not what you know, but who you know.”  It used to be that was the case.  Now, I’m not so sure…

I’ve found that most larger companies are so systemized that even if you know the head of HR, or the CEO, getting the position you want in the company is not a slam dunk, all they can really do is pass you off to the recruiting staff (or HR) to be put into the process.

However, after having gone through the process, what I’ve found is that while personal contacts don’t necessarily guarantee jobs, they are extremely beneficial for helping to point the direction.  For example, if you know someone in a company, you should absolutely talk to that person about what ways you can become a part of the company.  Is there a rotational program available?  A separate sales program?  A technical program? 

You certainly don’t want to join a company only to find that they had a program that would be perfect for you, only you didn’t apply because you didn’t know about it.  That’s where these personal contacts come into play.  Use your friends (those who have just graduated and are now working can be a tremendous resource), your family, their friends, and make friends with recruiters at the career fair.  The recruiters are also willing to take the time with you to describe the various programs available at their company, even if they aren’t directly recruiting for those spots.  I know where I work, we recruit for technical folks, yet if you came to a recruiter and said you were interested in sales, the recruiter would point you towards our sales programs 100% of the time. 

In sum, don’t be afraid to ask recruiters, friends, family friends (anyone) the questions to find out if a company has the program you want most.  Trust me—you will be amazed when you talk to someone and unexpectedly find out that a random company has the perfect program for you.

I truly hope this article has been helpful in providing the basic building blocks for your job search. From here, feel free to explore the other articles on the website to get more in depth information about each one, or purchase our complete Job Search Guide!

Happy (Job) Hunting!

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