Articles - Career / Personal Development

They say everything that is old becomes new again - - certainly the word Networking fits that description.  20+ years ago, when I started my career as a career coach, finding a job was all about networking and the  hidden job market.  In the early days of Monster, CareerBuilder, et al - - networking became associated with out-of-date job search techniques.  In all actuality, while no one was saying it out loud, the truth has remained constant.    Networking has always played a key role in all job searches.

There was a brief period of time (a few years), where the job boards had the competitive edge for those who were computer savvy.  But it quickly became obvious that the human touch was still, if not always the most important, at the very least - - extremely important in any career search.

The fun today is that you can combine many different methodologies of networking - - face-to-face, telephone, snail mail correspondence, the internet (complete with a Skype account and a camera).  Just pick your preference  - or better yet - combine two or more and you will be amazed at how quickly your job search moves forward.

I recently had a client with a very specific skill set who answered questions on LinkedIn that were focused on his skills.  In only a short period of time, he had more than 100 people look at his profile and had two job interviews.  He was electronically networking when he answered the questions - - and it worked.

Yes, networking isn't going away - - there are just new ways to accomplish the connections.

And the hidden market - - it is alive and well.  Networking opens the door to that market.  So  as Larry the Cable Guy says  "git r done" - start networking and opening the door to the hidden job market.

Biography - Kay Stout  Executive Advisor/Consultant

Kay Stout is Managing Partner in Pacheco Stout Consulting. P S Consulting  provides B2B Consulting services to companies interested in the ever-growing Oklahoma business community. She is a featured guest on the BehindTheMike Show (www.behindthemike.info), 3^rd Sunday of each month, from 8:00 – 9:00 CST where she gives advice, answers questions and provides solutions to job-seekers in today’s market.    Most recently, she was an Executive Advisor/Consultant with Oklahoma Professional Search.  She has been instrumental in providing professional career transition and consulting services to the business community since 1986.  From 1995 to 2002 she was Vice President of the Oklahoma City office of Right Management Consultants, a global human resource organization that helps companies manage their human investment capital to meet bottom-line objectives.

Her varied career includes working with the engineers who built the Atlas Missile Sites and the KMAG engineers in Korea.  She utilized her musical education from the University of Wyoming through private teaching and performance.  She then engaged in work to build non-profit organizations as well as special assignments on political campaigns.  She has traveled with former First Lady Shirley Bellmon to promote Home Based Business throughout the state and chaired a committee that significantly changed the socio-economic division of a public school system.  Furthermore, she has hosted “Your Career Connection” for KTOK radio.

Her current community involvement includes:  Chairman, Oklahoma Prosperity Project Speaker’s Bureau and Executive Director, Alford Foundation .

Kay has been recognized as a “Lady of the Eighties” by an Oklahoma City television station;  awarded the Girl Scout Thanks Badge;  recognized by a local ATW chapter for her assistance in their career placement program; a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and Ken Arbuckle honoree of Sales & Marketing Executives International.

Contact:  kaystout@mail.com;  P:  405-255-8301  http://www.linkedin.com/in/kaystout www.kaystout.net

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