Networking: Traditional and Online

Hook: "It's not what you know, it's who you know"

You've probably heard that saying. It's only half true: what you know (your skills) still matters a lot. But who you know often decides whether you hear about an opportunity in the first place, and whether someone puts in a good word for you.

Lesson 1 showed that the job market for young people is tough right now, with employers hiring fewer new workers. In a market like that, people who hear about openings early, through other people, have an advantage. The curriculum asks you to analyse the role of traditional and online networking in finding and securing opportunities. Good news: you already have a network. You just may not have used it yet.

Why networking works

• The hidden job market. Many jobs, especially in small businesses, are filled by word of mouth, referrals or people who contacted the employer directly, sometimes before a job is posted publicly. A network helps you hear about them.
• Referrals build trust. An employer who hires a stranger takes a risk. A recommendation from someone they trust lowers that risk.
• Information and advice. People in your network can tell you what a job is really like, which courses or programs to take, and how to prepare.
• It goes both ways. Networking isn't using people. It is building relationships: you thank people, keep in touch, and help others when you can (for example, passing on an opportunity to a friend).

Traditional networking

Traditional networking happens in person or by phone:

• People you already know: family, friends, neighbours, teachers, guidance counsellors, coaches, club leaders, employers, members of your cultural or faith community, and Elders or knowledge keepers.
• Volunteering: supervisors get to see your skills and can become references.
• Job fairs and career events: meet several employers, colleges, universities or training programs at once. Prepare questions, bring a résumé if it's a job fair, and follow up.
• Informational interviews: a 20-to-30-minute conversation with someone working in a field you're curious about.
• Co-op and work experience: a co-op placement in Grade 11 or 12 builds connections in a real workplace.

Online networking

Online networking uses the internet to find and keep connections:

• Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn (users must be at least 16) let you list your skills and experience, follow companies and connect with people in a field.
• Your school's career-planning platform, online career fairs and webinars from colleges, universities and employers.
• Email: a clear, polite email is still one of the best ways to ask for an informational interview.
• Groups and communities connected to your interests (for example, a coding club's online group or a youth arts organization).

Comparing them: traditional networking builds stronger trust, because people see you in person. Online networking reaches further, beyond your neighbourhood, and lets people see your work. Use both.

Stay safe online: connect only through trusted platforms, never share your SIN, address or banking information, be wary of anyone who pressures you, tell a parent or guardian before meeting anyone in person, and meet only in a public place.