Finding a job in Chicago

According to Federal Bureau of Statistics, 70 percent of all jobs in the US are found through networking. This is the most important thing every expat arriving to America should know.

Therefore, your first step after arrival in Chicago (or any other US city for that matter) should be building your network.

Chicago has a vibrant networking scene. Dozens of events take place every day in the morning, during lunch time and after work.

What I like about Chicago is that downtown is not the only place where action happens – in fact, a lot of networking groups meet in various Chicago suburbs and I would be very surprised if there isn’t at least one in the area where you live.

Types of networking groups

There are different types of networking groups in Chicago: some help everybody, others are organised specifically for women or minorities (Asians, Hispanics, etc.), people of various professions and trades (ex. sales and marketing networking group, healthcare professionals group, etc.).

It is very important not to associate yourself with just one group; this limits your networking ability. The more groups you join from the start, the better. However, when you spend some time networking you will realise which groups are for you and which are not so in the end you will stick with 2 or 3, which you visit most often. It is essential to build meaningful relationships with people you meet over time so your breadth of networking should turn into depth. Only when people know you well will they will be willing to recommend you.

Though networking groups in Chicago serve various population strata they have more or less the same format of operation. Usually, the membership and events are free of charge (or for a nominal fee). People who organise these groups and help job seekers do not make money from these activities (compared to headhunting, employment and other agencies who do it for a living). The money you may have to pay is for the renting of a meeting space or for printing/copying (a lot of groups will provide you with valuable printed materials related to job search). 

Networking meetings

Many networking meetings will start with a short presentation on a job search-related topic. Then everyone will have a chance to introduce oneself and tell others in the group what he/she is looking for. If a group is quite large than the participants will be divided into subgroups for this activity. Everybody in the group is trying to help each other with leads, advice etc.

Don’t forget that you also have the responsibility of helping others – when you go to these networking meetings you should be prepared not just to take but to give back too. Of course, when you are very new in the country you cannot be of much help, but still try to listen carefully to other people’s needs. Chances are that at your next meeting you may meet someone who can help somebody from your previous meeting and you should do your best to get them connected because you hope that someone will do the same for you.

There are also “open networking” groups. When you come to their events you enter a big room full of people and you are free to approach anybody, introduce yourself and start a conversation. Open networking is hard if you are new to the concept of networking in general. Not all people can do it, and that’s OK. This is why I said earlier that you should visit many groups and then pick those you are comfortable with.

Finding networking groups and meetings

The biggest challenge is to find these networking groups. Since most of them are non-profit they don't often have a marketing and promotion budget, so you don’t hear about them in newspapers or on TV. A lot of them don’t even have a website. When you start networking you will learn about some of them from word-of-mouth. You are also welcome to consult my reference guide, "The Legal Aliens Guide";which lists about 200 networking organisations in Chicago and suburbs. It is the only comprehensive networking guide that was ever published covering Chicagoland area.

Tips on finding the job you want

Before you go to any networking meetings you should be very clear what you are looking for: 

• Target company (or companies) name and a desired position. No one will be able to help you if you are vague. “I am looking for something in a banking sector” – is an example of a statement that will get you nowhere.
• Be as specific as possible.
• Be friendly and open.
• Most importantly – follow up!

People promise to help, but it is human nature to forget. If someone told you he/she may have a lead for you, write a “thank you” e-mail when you get home after the event. The purpose of this e-mail is two-fold: 1. To express your gratitude and 2. To gently remind a person about what you agreed upon. It should basically have only four sentences:

“It was very nice meeting you. I really appreciate your offer to help me to connect with … (name) at…. (organisation). Please, let me know if I can help you in any way (when you write this sentence you should really mean it). I am looking forward to seeing you at future events.”

Networking is not easy. It takes great relationship-building skills but the good news is that the more you do it the better you get at it. When you, finally, find that dream job don’t forget the people who helped you. Stay connected to your favorite networking group(s). Now it’s your turn to help others to achieve their career goals. Plus, no job is for life these days, unfortunately. You may need to go back to your networking groups in a couple of years – so don’t burn bridges behind you!

Good luck in your job search!