CPACareerCoach.com

I have been discussing the importance of networking on Linkedin. As I have mentioned before, Linkedin is a great way to merge the internet and physical networking. Let’s face it…networking is hard work. Sure there are many benefits to networking and I still believe it is the fastest way to a job, but networking combined with Linkedin is networking on your time. That is a very important concept if you let it sink in.

So, today I want to give you a short post on the importance of tracking your progress. Most people when it comes to a job search do a bunch of random actions hopping that somehow all this activity adds up to something. Well, action is better than non-action, but working smarter is better the working harder. Tracking your progress is a way to work smarter in your job search.

In other words, take time to notice whether something is working or not or at the very least keep an activity log of what you have done so far.

You might even want to develop a spreadsheet with the items I mentioned above. So that you can easily rotate this process and see how it works for you.

Let’s say you have identified 15 MIC’s from our earlier drill (see this post about what MIC’s are: Linkedin Networking: Develop Your MIC’s). I would then list the names down one column. Across the top you could list various ways to reach out to this person. Some of those categories might be phone call, email, meet for coffee, write a note, etc.

Then, you can “touch” this person at different levels and at different times. Now, you don’t want to accomplish all of this in one week, but over time it is a great way to keep your name out there. Statistics tell us that it takes at least “7 touches” with someone before your name becomes recognized and remembered to them.

What you don’t want to do is call this person every Friday to see if they have heard of any openings. Just vary your contact method but keep in front of them.

You also might want to use a Calendar system like Outlook and create reminders so that you keep all these plates spinning. Over time you will know which connections are beneficial and which ones are not.

Another Tip: When dealing with recruiters, call each of them on different days. Most people make the mistake of calling their recruiters every other Friday and see what is going on. I would spread them out and call one on Monday, one on Wednesday, and one on Friday. That way you really have a feel for the local marketplace at all times.

For more tips and insight on using Linkedin as a job search networking tool download my free ebook “Linkedin Strategy Guide for Accounting & Finance Professionals.”