Leveraging networks to find jobs

"A referral for a job can make all the difference in the world when you are job searching. A referral not only gets your application noticed - but also acts as an automatic recommendation," explains Greg Schneider, MD of Hiring Bounty, a crowdsourced recruitment platform that lists vacancies in the marketing, IT and finance sectors.

"Many of us shy away from asking a contact for a referral in fear of seeming presumptuous, but in most cases you will be surprised at how many people are happy to help."

Refer a friend

The stats confirm this. Hiring Bounty recently conducted a survey that aimed to uncover how South Africans look for jobs - 90% of those surveyed said that they would definitely refer a friend for a job that would be a good fit, and that their biggest motivation for referral would be a strategic professional networking opportunity.

Therefore, it seems that by referring a 'quality' candidate, people boost their own professional reputations as well. The majority of respondents also cited a referral as the preferred - and most effective - method of finding a job.

Leverage the network to find that ideal job

• The Blind Date: If one's contact works at the company where one is looking to apply, ask him or her for a personal introduction to the HR manager or person who will be doing the interviews. The contact should facilitate the introduction and then allow one to talk privately with the other party.

• The Love Letter: Asking a contact for a letter of recommendation is beneficial if one wants to use the referral letter for different job applications. Ask one's contact to submit the letter on one's behalf, along with an attachment of the resume and a personal cover letter. One also can make copies of the referral letter and include it when submitting a CV.

• Online Matchmaking: through such companies as Hiring Bounty. The website lists vacancies in the marketing, IT and finance sectors and individuals are incentivised to leverage their networks and connect the right individual to the right job through a pre-determined 'bounty' offering.

For more information, go to www.hiringbounty.com.