There was an article in The Wall Street Journal several years ago titled: “The Best Jobs Aren’t Posted, But You Can Still Find Them”

As a member of The FENG, I hope it won’t take you more than a “New York Minute” to guess how you find them.

There are 3 proven ways. Wait for it … : Networking, networking and more networking!

When thinking about filling a Chief Financial Officer or Controller job, most Chief Executive Officers and/or Presidents first put the word out to those they know. There are many reasons why they do this. The most obvious reason is that filling a job with someone they already know, or hiring someone known to someone they know removes about 90% of the risk. (It may be only 89%, but I’m generalizing.)

When it comes to senior level hiring, there is always a long list of requirements. However, job requirements are not actually a job description. Senior level jobs are built around people. I would much rather work with someone known to me whose pluses and minuses I know, than to break in a “stranger.”

If you think about the people in your “inner circle of friends” they are typically strongly like you across many dimensions. The people THEY know are therefore likely to be strongly like you as well.

I have often been heard to say that a “fair fight” is overrated. Job leads are a fair fight. Sure, the fair fight is an American tradition I suppose, but I don’t believe it has a strong reality. In any case, I tend to only pick fights I can win. (I hate losing, don’t you?)

This is the reason networking works. It ISN’T a fair fight. As you reach out to those who know you, they are able to connect you with important people who will understand what you do.

If you do your networking properly, the odds of one of those important people needing someone with your credentials in the 30-90 days after having met you is mathematically a near certainty.

Although networking appears to be a random process, it isn’t. That said when you finally connect with Santa Claus (the person who offers you a job), it will surprise you.

This is why I refer to it as: “The Magic of Networking.”

As one of our members once wrote to me: The choice is either networking or not working.

Regards, Matt