As we all know, finding a new job in the current climate can be tricky. But there are ways to improve your chances of securing a new position. We’ve all trawled through the want ads and classifieds and searched online. Sometimes this bears results but one of the best ways to find out about new roles is by staying in Touch and having good communication with those around you, family, friends and former colleagues, as well as new people you meet.

Networking in a country like Ireland comes naturally, given the size of the country and the almost one degree of separation we all seem to share with everyone.  Word of mouth can work wonders for us here.  A huge amount of positions are filled by people sorting a friend out by having a position going in their company, or by them knowing of one elsewhere.

The secret to this is keeping in touch with old workmates and friends and letting them know, you are on the look-out for a fresh start and reminding them to let you know of any new positions they might know about, or to get in touch if they come across anything. But to be truly successful, there’s a few subtle ways to make your search through your network truly effective.

When you’re connecting with an old friend or colleague, spend the initial period catching up and asking how they’ve been before pushing anything on them. Would you like someone you hadn’t heard from in ages calling out of the blue to ask a favour, without so much as a chat first? Take it easy.

Be upfront about your abilities and job history, as well as realistic in your expectations. Those in your network won’t really be interested in helping you if you have unrealistic demands such as ‘If it’s over €30k then call me, otherwise leave it.’ You might be joking (or maybe not) but it won’t encourage your network, be it close friends or old colleagues to help you if you are being blasé.

You want your contacts to be on your side in your search, so don’t be afraid to get them onside by asking them advice about how is the best way to get into the sort of role you are looking for, or asking them about their insight as they have been through this and you value their experience and know how.

You’ve let your network know you’re looking for work, you’ve asked their advice and they now have you in mind. With any luck, you’ll be in a new role before long, but remember, whether or not someone in your network helped you out, stay in touch with them! They may well need you at some stage and having been there, you’ll be happy to help them out, , but you may well need them again too!