According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of jobs are found through networking, and with the National Center for Education Statistics projecting more than 1,855,000 new graduates entering the workforce in 2015, securing a coveted job offer in this highly competitive landscape requires added resourcefulness.
To gain an edge and tap into the power of networking, college grads, as well as other job seekers, have access to a wealth of useful apps designed to ease the transition to working professional. However, with millions of apps available for download, how do you make sure you’re using the best tools to get from the job search to the corner office? If leveraged and utilized properly, countless working professionals have seen a direct correlation between their network and their overall net worth.
Bart Lorang, CEO of FullContact, recommends five key networking apps for job seekers to start immediately building out their professional networks.
Building a Professional Network
Click through for five apps that can help working professionals, as well as recent graduates, who are looking for employment tap into and strengthen their networks, as identified by Bart Lorang, CEO of FullContact.
LinkedIn: Perfect for the new grad or anyone looking to keep their hand on the pulse of the job market, build and nurture your professional network, stay up to date with the latest business and industry news and find your next dream job via this business-oriented social network.
It all starts with your LinkedIn profile. Displaying much more than your professional resume, your profile shows the world who you are and what you’ve accomplished in your career. LinkedIn enables you to make and grow connections with others in your industry; stay up to date with your professional network; search for and connect with people, jobs, companies and groups; follow influencers to gain insights and career lessons from business thought leaders; view, save and apply for jobs you’re interested in and much more.
LinkedIn can be accessed on desktops via the web-based platform and on mobile devices for iOS, Android, Windows and BlackBerry.
FullContact
FullContact: Job seekers, especially new graduates, need to begin building a personal and professional network with contact information that goes beyond what’s available from online social networks. FullContact stores all of your contacts safely in a cloud-based system that automatically and accurately updates them with publicly available social profile information and photos, easily manages de-duplication and then syncs contacts back to the places you need them — so you always have a complete view of your connections.
FullContact gives job seekers the power to create contact groups and tags, and maintain personal ownership of meaningful connections so contact information won’t be left behind if key contacts someday disconnect from a social network.
Your super-network travels anywhere with FullContact. It is available on desktops via the web-based platform, Gmail (compatible with multiple Google accounts) as a plugin, and iOS (iPhone and iPad).
Weave
Weave: LinkedIn meets Tinder (minus the dating) – simply swipe left or right to chat with other like-minded local professionals. Meet CEOs, startup founders, VCs, recruiters and business experts from every field.
Offering the ability to connect with other like-minded professionals, Weave also offers users the ability to join ‘Rooms’ for specific networking needs including general networking, fundraising, hiring, looking for a co-founder and services. Perfect for new grads looking to get their foot in the door, bounce ideas off of industry veterans and everything in between, Weave puts people in touch with the appropriate and needed connections.
Grow your network with Weave, available on Android and iOS.
Let’s Lunch
Let’s Lunch: Have an hour for lunch but no time to take meetings in your otherwise busy day? Now you can network with a purpose. When you go out for lunch, Let’s Lunch finds relevant and interesting business professionals near you. Simply swipe the meeting to your calendar and connect in person over coffee or a meal.
Operating as your personal assistant, Let’s Lunch gives users the rare opportunity to set and schedule casual meetings with companies they want to work for and with people within particular industries of interest.
Begin scheduling your lunch meetings with Let’s Lunch available on iOS.
CityHour
CityHour: As a new grad, the clock is ticking to find a new job. With CityHour, instantly convert your free time into a productive opportunity as you meet real people and make real business happen. Quickly connect to anyone within a 50-mile radius who is looking for a meeting in the next two hours based on professional commonalities, including industries of interest and meeting goals.
Many new grads are eager to network, but struggle with knowing where to start building and growing their network. CityHour takes the hassle out of this dilemma as it locates and filters relevant and beneficial people for you.
Start filling your calendar and making connections with CityHour, available on iOS and Android.
