Juanita is a health science major and is anticipating a job search in three months. Juanita knows she

Question

wants to be a surgery technician. She understands the importance of networking as the No. 1 source of
discovering a job. This is the first time Juanita has seriously considered networking, and she is a little
worried about how to begin.
Juanita is also concerned since she recently moved to the area to attend school and has not had much
time to get to know many people. She has some acquaintances but wants to expand her network as
quickly as possible and work on developing influential references.

Explain what sources of networking you would recommend Juanita use. Additionally, identify people resources she could draw on to develop her personal support system and her more formal job? and career?oriented network.

Answer 1

Juanita should use professional journals and websites in the health science industry and specifically
in the surgery technology field. She should use these resources to become an active participant in
these associations. She should also find ways to use LinkedIn and Twitter and learn about local job
fairs.
Even though Juanita has recently moved to the area, she has several good choices for her personal
support system and her formal network, including her family; relatives; friends; school, work, or
social acquaintances; former or current employers; career services staff and counselors from school;
health science instructors; alums of her program; people she has served or met in volunteer
activities; people from her place of worship; neighbors; membership directories; trade associations;
and professionals (doctors, dentists, accountants). She should also consider people with whom she
does business (salespeople, clerks, others); people with whom she spends leisure time; and service
people (hairdressers, librarians, mechanics, clerks, others).

Juanita should seek influential references who are willing to vouch for her qualifications. These
should be people who can attest to her job, school, or other performance and to her desirable
character traits and values. These people should also be willing to write letters recommending
Juanita to employers. Juanita should follow these guidelines for developing references:
? She should use only references who have given permission to use their names, and she should
thank them for allowing her to use them.
? She should use only references who can recommend her highly from first-hand knowledge.
? She should not use relatives as references.
? She should ask each person to write a letter of reference that she can provide to employers.
? She should keep copies of reference letters in her Career Management Files Binder for use as
needed during her job search.
? She should let references know when she will be using their names.
? She should keep her references and other networking members informed of the status of her job
search.