A warm contact list is a list of people that you contact when you are looking for a job. These people are willing to help you in your search by offering information about current job openings, business opportunities, or just to give you tips on looking for a job. So who belongs on your warm contact list? Here are some people who might be willing to help. Family and friends should always be first on your list of warm contacts. They are always willing to help or to give advice. They may be able to give you information on job openings, or refer you to trustworthy people who might be able to help you. They can introduce you to people who could help with your search, and provide honest information about the people you are associating with. Former employers or co workers are also a must on your warm contact list. It is important to keep a good relationship with former employers because a potential employer will most likely call past employers to see what kind of a worker you were and why you no longer have that job anymore. Past employers can also give you information on that field and that could help in your job search. When you ask family and friends about information it can very well be second hand or rumors. But when you ask someone who is in the same field as you are looking to go into, such as a past employer, they will be able to give you first hand information or clear up any questions you might have. People who share the same beliefs and hobbies as you are often willing to help you with your job search. Members of the church, political party, fraternity, or sorority usually will help you with your job search. They may give you information or they could also think twice about giving it to you. Their opinion of the people they can connect you with could help you build a strategy on how to approach them and ask them for their help. Another type of person you might want to have on your warm contacts list is people who sell you things. You may think that your relationship doesn't extend past the retail and business you have together, but more than likely they will be willing to help you in the job field if they can. These people know that maintaining a stable relationship is crucial to eh business that you have together. They may be a good source because they know a lot of different people and associate with them on a daily basis. They could be able to refer you to someone they know that is in the same field as you are looking to go into. A professional organization related to the field you are looking to go into can give you unbiased information on job openings with their members. These organizations can also give you information on a business that you are thinking about working for. These are the most important people you want to talk to when searching for a job. These people should make up your warm contact list and should give you the most options on your job search.
