Professional Networking = Small World Phenomenon

Secrets of a CRA Recruiter

Today’s roundtable is about how professional networking can create a Small World Phenomenon for you. And no, I am not talking about Disney World’s Small World ride. I am talking about the principle that Wikipedia describes where short chains of acquaintances, often no more than a handful of individuals, connect any two people on the planet.

This concept was first explored with the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” game which applied the concept that any two people are six or fewer acquaintances apart. Expanding on this theory, several years ago Facebook conducted a study that showed the average degree of separation between two Facebook users was only around 4 people. This is huge for the #jobseeker because that would translate to 1 out of every 4 people knowing you or knowing of you.

Wow…this sure does create an incentive for professional networking!

But let me ask this – how do you leverage this Small World Phenomenon during your job search? And while professional networking is a terrific way to make your world smaller, is that the only way to do it? Oh, and don’t forget, your network can also work against you in your job search. What do you need to consider as you leverage your network?

Join us today as we dig into this topic, providing some real-world examples of how to take advantage of professional networking to make your world just a smidge smaller and your job search much easier.