Networking skills are the best way to find a new job according to Drake Beam Morin (DBM), a leading global workplace consulting firm who quizzed 4,500 UK job seekers. Published in a new study, 'Career Choices and Challenges of People in Transition' the findings indicate that a substantial proportion (50%) claim to have found their latest role via networking whilst one quarter say that going to a head-hunter or recruitment agency paid dividends.
"Networking continues to be a vital factor in successful job hunting. Applicants can tap into opportunities that are not yet advertised. Well prepared job seekers have a diverse network of business and personal contacts as well as information sources. Since employment security can be defined as how quickly you can locate your next position, networking is one of the most important career skills people can develop," says Tony Gould, managing director of DBM in the UK.
In response to the tight recruitment market, job seekers are also being streetwise about transferring their skills to new sectors. In 2001 a marked trend was recorded in people either changing function or transferring their skills into different industries. Changes in job functions were particularly apparent in finance/accounting, general management, sales & marketing and operations/manufacturing. Industry movement was more apparent in consumer products/FMCG, technology and finance and the service sector.
Globally, the DBM research shows that three in four out-of-work business people changed industries in order to find a new job.
"The current climate requires a creative approach and the successful candidates are repackaging their knowledge and skills and transferring them to new jobs and new industries. But employers are also recognising the advantages of bringing in new talent with a fresh perspective which may explain why so many respondents were able to secure positions outside their previous industry or functional area," continues Tony Gould.
DBM lists flexibility, willingness to relocate, global work experience and cross-industry or cross-function hands-on experience as real assets in the current climate. Other hot skills include project management, a wide network of business contacts and the ability to develop new business or bring clients on board.
| To arrange interviews, please contact Nicola Hunt at NHPR Tel: 020 7490 9310 Email:[email protected]. For further information and/or a copy of the report please contact Philippa Graves, DBM, Tel: 020 7556 4044 Email:[email protected] |