Virtual Networking

Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.

  Career Development  

You've heard the expression "It's not what you know, but who you know." There is some truth to that. But if you're incompetent at what you do, don't expect to hold on to a job no matter who you know.

I can't tell you how many times smart project managers have complained about not finding great jobs while less-qualified friends latched on to them quickly. What are they doing wrong? They lack well-placed contacts. Having friends in the right places has always been an important commandment of good networking. Yet it's even more important now, according to Mark Mehler, recruiting consultant and co-author of CareerXroads 2003 ($18.33), a comprehensive annual listing of job websites.

Read on and find out how to develop a vast virtual network that can help you find priceless career contacts which can lead to jobs.

Mehler and his partner, Gerry Crispin, have been monitoring the job market for two decades. Three or four times a year, they get together with about 30 recruiting strategists of large companies to get a reading on the job market, plug in to hiring trends and find out where the jobs are--and, most importantly, how to land them.

The word from the nation's top corporate recruiters? There are thousands of jobs out there, and virtually all companies are hiring. That's great news, but how do you snare them? By understanding these…

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