Whether you are in business or an employee, you will be marketing and promoting, some people might say - "selling". If ever there was a time to be marketing yourself and raising your profile, now is the time. The world has changed virtually overnight and the rate of redundancies and companies folding is higher than anyone alive can remember. Everyone is nervous and looking over their shoulder; not a happy time for many people.

Then if and when its your turn to join the ever-growing line of the unemployed what are you going to do? We have seen continuous growth for about 15 years so people whose ages range from say 25-40 will never have experienced being out of work.
Its time to face reality for many people and its not going to be easy. You will get depressed and demoralised, your self-esteem will drop and you may stop believing youre any good at anything. I can do nothing about that other than say, Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start to take control and act!

1. Before you start searching – stop. Make a list of all your skills, qualities and traits. Then sit and think carefully what sort of a job youd like. Even list the companies youd like to work for.
2. Take your job label off (Im an engineer, Im an accountant) and replace it with I am a person who can…
3. Buy this in a brilliant book for job hunters called What Color (its American hence the spelling) is your parachute by Richard Nelson Bolles. It must be good; its been around over 30 years and sold over 10,000,000 copies. It was chosen by the US Library of Congress as one of the 25 Books That Have Shaped Readers Lives
4. The more specific you are the more people can help you. If you dont know what you want to do, how can you expect others to help?

1 Surfing job sites on the Internet
2 Answering adverts in journals and newspapers
3 Approaching agencies
4 Knocking on doors of businesses where you know vacancies exist (for certain types of vacancies).
5 Writing directly to your target (See Appendix 1 the ‘Give me a job letter)
6 Asking for job leads from friends, family etc

Methods 1, 2 and 3
Im not saying dont use these; all I suggest is when you do bear in mind youre competing against potentially hordes of others as most people use similar channels. When youre desperate for employment you must try every avenue and remember, at the end of the day whether youre in sales and marketing or promoting yourself its a number game.

Method 4
If it is a non-office job this can sometimes be very successful. You could be turning up just at the right time and you could be viewed as having shown initiative by ‘getting on your bike as some politicians might say!

Method 5

I believe one of the best ways to get a job is to target the company you want and aim at it with some passion, enthusiasm and energy. When you find the right person to write to, try the attached in appendix 1 as the basis of a letter to make you stand out from the crowd. If you dont get a response, (positive or negative) after, say 4 weeks, write again to check if they have your letter. Send them a copy and say youd really like at least a formal or informal interview.

Method 6

Its all about who we know and, as importantly, who we know knows!
Networking is simply building relationships. Every relationship we have ever built has three key steps.
1. Know
2. Like
3. Trust

When people know you like you and trust they will want to help you …if you ask them and they know you are looking for a new position. By asking these people you are complimenting and flattering them and paying tribute to their knowledge
Start by drawing up a list of everyone you know. It will surprise you how many there are! Make sure as many people as possible know youre in the market. Do your utmost to communicate exactly what you are good at, what you like to do and what sort of a position youre seeking. And, rather than just producing a CV in a chronological list, make sure your paperwork demonstrates your skills, accomplishments and how you can bring value to a new employer. Whether you are looking for a new position or new clients, references and testimonials are a must. See Appendix 1

When friends, family and contacts help you, dont leave the meeting without asking for names of two or three further contacts of theirs. I reiterate; at the end of the day its a numbers game, whether looking for business or a new job.
Board of Advisors
Extract from all these people, lets say five and ask them to be your Board of Advisors. You need people who are willing to give of their time and make calls or send emails on your behalf. These should be people of influence or people whove been around a bit…like me. Keep asking the question Who do you know who…? and keep asking it again.

This sample letter of inquiry is a good base from which to start, the italic lettering is where you have to insert your own information.

[Date]
[Address]
[Phone Number]
[Employer's Name and Title]or previous
[Employer's Address]or previous

Dear [Name of hiring manager]

I have been informed of a job opportunity as [specific position or area you are applying for] by [name of referrer]. I am very interested in such a position because [qualifications or related work & interests].

I am currently employed at [name of organisation] as [title of position if employed].

or

I have just graduated from [name of academic organisation]. [Achievements related to the position] [Note: Read Writing about achievements guide]

or

I have been made redundant from [name of organisation]. [Achievements related to the position] [Note: Read Writing about achievements guide]

I look forward to discussing this job opportunity further and how I can contribute to the success of [name of organisation].

Sincerely, [sign your name ] [type your name ]

Modify the Sample Letter of Inquiry, it is a good idea to add your own flavour, but do not go over the top be brief.

Networking Back To Work is one of a series of Hubpages I am putting together. I will be exploring the different methods I have discribed in this page.