You're Not Networking

Our poll on JobsintheMoney last week was about alumni networks - Do you use yours, or not? The results surprised me: Less than 14 percent (13.8 percent to be precise) reach out to their fellow alumni in the course of managing their careers. More than 79 percent don't. And 6.9 percent didn't graduate from college.

So, my observations and suggestions:

Eric Mokover, associate dean, career initiatives, at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, says an alumni association is "the single most important facility to enable students to get jobs and for companies to recruit successfully." He notes that "alumni have a real emotional connection to the school and therefore are going to work harder in a place where they know what the quality's about." See the whole story on this here.

In general, I've a funny feeling that a lot of people aren't paying enough attention to networking. You know, it never hurts to having lunch, coffee or a drink after work with someone for no reason except "because." It's how networks are made.

And I think networking is a huge part of any career - It helps you in your current job, and helps you learn about and take stock of new opportunities. So, below is a selection of articles we've published on the subject.

Don't Underestimate Your Alumni Network [JITM]
Ask the Expert: Reaching Beyond Company Networks [JITM]
Position Yourself for a New Job - Discreetly [JITM]