Jobs: How to network In Canada [Video]

One student had reached 49 “coffee chats” — brief meetings with industry contacts — with nothing to show for it.

He was ready to give up, said Karen Jackson-Cox, executive director of the Career Advancement Centre at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business. “He’s like, ‘I’m done. This networking thing does not work.’”

But they booked one more — his 50th meeting.

The industry contact didn’t have any job openings for him — but a colleague just down the hall needed a specific skill set. They walked over to another office and this colleague was, in fact, a hiring manager for a unique role, the kind that doesn’t show up on job sites.

“And long story short, that became an interview and job offer,” Jackson-Cox said. “Right on the spot.”

It is estimated that 70 to 80 per cent of available jobs are never posted, she added — they are roles filled internally or through networking. If young job …