Have you ever gotten a job through another person? Think back to that experience and compare it to an experience in which you were not referred by another person. Ask your self a couple questions. Did you get the job in both situations? In which situation was the interview process easier? In which situation did you feel more comfortable? Which job was better?
While you mull those questions over. Let me discuss my employment experiences with you. My first job was at a Pizza Hut, no friend recommended me to the job, the store just desperately needed delivery drivers [delivery driving has a low retention rate as I'm sure you can imagine]. The delivery driving job paid minimum wage unless you were out on delivery on which it paid half minimum wage [plus tips] and was part-time work.
My second job was as a Peer Tutor at Gordon [State] College. I got the job, because I failed my English 1101 class. The class was at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and I was tired from delivering pizza the night before, so often I wouldn't go to the class. I did however always submit my papers [usually after the deadline] and would chat with the professor during his office hours. The professor in question [Mr. Cezus] grew concerned for my late night work activity and advised me of a job opportunity in Gordon's Student Success Center. Mr. Cezus knew I had maintained a passing grade in math and suggested I send in an application and get a recommendation to do the job from my math professor at the time [Dr. Swetman]. Somehow it worked, and so did I, as a peer tutor of mathematics, for the remainder of my time at Gordon State College. I would not have gotten the job or even known about it without those office hour chats with my professor. The odd part is, I just liked talking to the guy, there wasn't some motivation behind my actions, just pleasant conversation and there I was with an enriched life thanks to him. I went on the next semester to pass the same English 1101 class with an A. The job paid a dollar more than minimum wage, I was moving up in the world thanks to a simple kindness.
My third job as a Customer Service Representative for Simplicity Ground Services [contracted out to Alaska Airlines] was also acquired from networking. My then [and now] friend Markus Mangra's boss was looking for additional ramp and fleet service workers to bag and clean the in and outbound Alaska Airlines flights. Thanks to Markus [who I had befriended while attending Gordon State College] I got an interview and rather than working ramp or fleet I was offered a position as a customer service rep. I jumped at the chance, the pay was nine dollars fifty cents an hour, an entire two dollars and twenty-five cents more than minimum wage where I had started. Another simple gesture by a friend led to a bump in the quality of my employment. I worked both the customer service and peer tutor job for awhile before arriving at the opportunity I am currently taking advantage.
Have you come up with your answers to the questions I asked at the beginning? Leave your answers in the comments below. I look forwarding to seeing your answers.
Now my current employment situation is with Geico. What I neglected to mention in the rest of this outlining of my employment history was that all of the jobs I've listed so far were part time [meaning under forty hours of work a week or less]. The position I currently have is the first full time position I've held and pays more than double minimum wage. How did I get here from making nine dollars and fifty cents an hour at the airport? Networking. A friend I made at Gordon State College [Andrea Fields] recommended me. The interview process was the one of the most grueling of all the jobs I have listed so far, but I stressed about the interview almost none. Thanks to the fact that I had been recommended by a friend who knew what I was capable of doing in a work setting.
I look forward to being on the giving end of the mutually beneficial arrangement that is networking. Don't you now too?
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