By Madelyn Mackie, Career Activator

Last week my CEO called me into his office to meet someone.    Julie was a young professional who had just moved to the area and was looking for work.  Before leaving the East Coast, she asked her circle of influence if they knew and could share 1-2 contacts in her new city.  One of those contacts was my boss.  After a brief conversation about the type of position she was seeking, I referred her to a few organizations and offered to make some introductions if she would send me her resume.  She did...and I did.  Within 5 days, she was interviewed and hired as an event manager for a major regional holiday celebration.  Job search done!

There are so many wonderful job search databases on the market, but the absolute best job search database you could ever use- is your own network.

Julie did 3 important things that activated her network and made her job search a success:  she asked for help, she followed through and she followed up.

Activate Your Network

1.         Ask for help.

Ask your network to provide 2-3 names with contact information of someone who would be of help with your job search.   Keep the list small.  It is easier for someone to come up with a few names rather than an entire list.  

 2.       Follow through.

It is not easy to contact someone you do not know, but you already have a foot in the door since you were referred by their best friend, fraternity brother, former boss, mentor, soccer coach or mom.  Send a simple email saying a mutual acquaintance recommended you contact them and ask for 10 minutes of time either by phone or in person.  To ensure the email is opened, put the name of the individual who referred you in the subject area - Referred by John Smith.

3.       Follow up.

When someone makes a recommendation, suggestion or requests additional information, follow up immediately.   The longer you wait, the colder the lead.

Finally, always send a Thank You note whenever someone takes time out of their day to help you and don't forget to pass it forward and connect someone to your own circle of influence.

For more career tips:  ActivateYourCareerDreams.com

Madelyn Mackie is a career and professional development speaker, trainer and coach.  Her Activate Your Career Dreams workshops and keynote presentations are jam packed with process-driven, results-oriented career development content.   She is a member of the National Resume Writers Association, Board Member of the National Speakers Association/Northern California and has presented in front of corporate, government, non-profit and community audiences of all sizes and backgrounds.  For over 12 years, Madelyn worked at several Tony® Award winning theaters throughout the country and was responsible for negotiating contracts for productions teams and professional set, lighting and costume designers.  As the External Relations Officer for the American Red Cross, she adds her own twist to the topic of disaster preparedness to make it doable and empowering to everyone.  Madelyn draws on her experience of successfully navigating three high profile careers from the chemistry lab to the stage to a high ranking position at a national non- profit, to provide expert advice, encouragement and step-by-step action plans needed to activate every career dreams.