7 Easy Steps for Focusing Your Job Search and Expanding Your Network

Originally posted on 'The Times of Israel':

Part 1 - http://bit.ly/2C0w6Wr

Part 2 - http://bit.ly/2TgHIhC

Research shows that most job positions aren’t listed on any job boards/career websites. This means that the best way to find a real job is through networking. I’m guessing your next question might be “I’m an Oleh Chadash/Newcomer to the country — how am I supposed to have a network if I don’t know a lot of people yet?” I had the same question when I landed in Israel; so keep reading to find my solution to this problem!

The first time I looked for a job in Israel, I had support from both Nancy Gonen from Gvahim, who was allocated as my HR Consultant, and Oded Israeli, who is my mentor (as I already mentioned in my first blog post). Three years later, my network has expanded: I have Nancy and Oded, but now I also have my husband and my husband’s family (he’s Israeli, so I know that I have an advantage over other Olim Chadashim). In addition, I have ex-colleagues (from my previous job), but asking them to help me through their connections wasn’t making my phone ring enough.

This is when I began to read more about networking and decided to start my own ‘networking project’. So far, I still haven’t found a job, but I’m so happy with the results! I’ve met amazing people willing to help me (Israel is made of Olim Chadashim; If they haven’t been in the same situation themselves before, they know someone who was)! I have to be honest with you: out of 100 attempts to connect, I managed to properly connect with 20 of them. Is this rate a bit low? Yes, but I succeeded in being called to interviews for several opportunities that weren’t even published and/or obtained referrals for job openings.

In this first post about networking, the main topic I want to elaborate more upon is LinkedIn. After LinkedIn was created, the act of finding and/or to expanding your network has become so much easier! So enjoy the maximum potential that this tool has to offer you! Don’t have a LinkedIn account or haven’t had the time to update it yet? Do it as fast as you can, because without this tool AND without networking you won’t survive the Israeli job market… read this article for tips on how to write a great LinkedIn profile. Do it step by step and, if you don’t have enough time to invest – start with the basic stuff and improve other sections with time. Quit whining that you “don’t have friends/connections from school, army, university, previous jobs, family friends, etc”! LinkedIn is here to end this problem!

Below, I’ll summarize my main process while looking for a job and will explain each step. People who know me well, know that I love to draw while explaining! A picture is worth a thousand words!

Process proudly created by Caroline Hauser Slapak. To see the picture bigger, click here.

* * *

To continue reading the article, understand better all the steps and get several links that can guide you on focusing your job search and expanding your network, please go to the original post at 'The Times of Israel':

Part 1 - http://bit.ly/2C0w6Wr - steps 1 to 4

Part 2 - http://bit.ly/2TgHIhC - steps 5 to 7