You're going to have to network, but it doesn't have to be awkward.

I once heard Oprah say that if you're single and no longer want to be, you need to let all your friends know that you're looking for a mate (what a weird word) and ask them to set you up. Don't judge me for taking dating advice from Oprah. This is just a metaphor.

This same dynamic is true in the search for your next role. The olde process of just applying via career sites is limiting. It relies on the recruiters to go into a database and search applicants (they may be searching broadly on skills, not resumes of applicants for specific jobs). It means that out of thousands (a conservative estimate) of applicants, your resume is going to need to be near the top of the search results. It kind of takes control of your visibility out of your hands.You're counting on the fact that the recruiter is using a certain set of criteria to search and that your resumes matches those criteria better than other applicants. Do I think you should still go ahead and apply for jobs on career sites? Yes. Do I think you need take additional steps to get your information in front of the right people? Yes. Am I also annoyed by this phenomenon where you ask yourself a question and then answer it? You betcha.

Anyway, you're going to have to network. Don't worry; it doesn't mean you are going to have to go to some creepy "networking session" in a rented ballroom at a hotel. You're not going to awkwardly ask strangers for recommendations. You're going to find people who are motivated to help you and you are going to ask them for things that are easy for them to give you.

If you have done a good job of managing your personal contacts, you might have some folks in your email client that you want to reach out to. This is a good starting point. Otherwise, it's time to hit LinkedIn. You might want to consider upgrading your account during your search.  Here's some info on doing that. A premium account is just going to give you a little more power. But even if you just keep your basic account, there's a lot you can do to kick off some really great networking juju.

See that little search bar at the top of the page? It's for sissies. The good stuff is under that "advanced" link. Hit that bad boy.

Now you will get a form to fill with search criteria. Don't go too nuts here because you will have the opportunity to filter your results down. So keep in mind that your results will only show people that match your criteria and no more (duh). Do a broader search and then filter. One caveat: to get even decent results, you have to enter a keyword.

So let's say that you want to see who in your network works at a particular company in a tech position. Use a tech-related keyword (experiment: software, program, technology, technical, C++) and hit return. Then when you get the search results, filter by company (on the left side...note you can add a company if you don't see it there...be sure to pick it from the drop down list that appears as you type). Then, when you decide that you have the right keyword, you can un-check the company and try another company. You can also filter by first degree connections, meaning you can contact them free-of-charge (FOC, as I say). I don't necessarily think you should limit your outreach to first degree connections but I do recommend that you pursue the path of least resistance first.

So what kinds of searches might you do?
1) As I mentioned: people in your network who work at particular companies you know you have an interest in.
2) Fellow-alumni of your previous companies. Former Microsofties like to help other alumni. When you use the company filter, employ the filter for "past company" versus "current company". Once you run the search, then look under the "current company" filter and see what companies popped up. Gotta love dynamic search.
3) I'd do some simple searches on tech keywords that are relevant to your background (and maybe location) to look at the companies that employ people with those skills and keep a list of those companies to investigate

Once you find people you are interested in contacting, review their profile. Many times folks will provide a direct email address on their profile (look at the very top and very bottom). I'd always opt for contacting someone directly via email versus through their LinkedIn account, which they might not check that often. But if you have to contact them via LinkedIn, think about upgrading your account and/or investing in some inmails.

So what might you be asking these people for when you reach out to them? Well, that really depends on how you know them.

• If you know them pretty well (meaning, you've worked together in some capacity), I'd ask them if they would consider recommending you. If you do this, make it easy on them. Go on their company website and find some jobs that could be a match for you. If there are any job codes, provide them. If you are emailking them directly, include your resume. This helps grease the skids.
• If you know them professionally but not in any way where you would feel comfortable asking them to vouch for your skills, ask them for advice on getting the attention of the right people (hiring managers or recruiters). They will let you know what they are willing to do. They might end up referring you based on your reputation. Happy employees generally want to do what they can to help get more people hired. Ask them what groups you should consider, if there's anyone you should reach out to specifically or  if they can give you the contact info for their recruiter. One thing to keep in mind: if you ask for them to spend time with you on the phone, you may experience some resistance. They might do it, but I could also see this being a reason why you don't hear back...because people are so busy with high priority work. So give them an out, let them help you via email if possible. 
• If you don't know these folks at all, think about a few things. First, how big is their network? On LinkedIn, are they an "open networker"? If so, they are probably used to getting requests and you might go down the path of asking them for advice. Otherwise, I might try something like this: "Hi Sam, I am exploring my next career step and have a background in X. ABC Company really interests me and since you are someone in my network who works there, I thought I'd try reaching out to see if you could possibly put me in touch with anyone who would be interested in hiring someone with a background like mine. I'd be interested in speaking with either a hiring manager, recruiter, or anyone else you suggest I engage to help me explore working at ABC Company. I appreciate your time and thank you in advance for your response."

Now, I don't know if you are anything like me, but I'd be keeping a big spreadsheet of all my outreach. Aside from keeping me from contacting the same person multiple times, it would give me a sense of progress and that would be something I'd need at a time like this.

I'll be back with more ideas on networking. Feel free to contact me if you have questions on what I posted here or if there's another topic you'd like some recruiter perspective on. You can reach me at heather(dot)hamilton(at)whizbangsolutions.net.