Networking Most Useful Lead for Marketing Talent

May 19, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A recent survey by the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG), a nearly 2000 member, not-for-profit organization of senior-level marketing professionals, found that networking represented the most successful job lead source for marketing executives.

However, according to a press release, the survey distinguished between professional and personal networking , and found it is three times more productive to network with your professional contacts than with your personal network . Thirty-seven percent of survey participants found their next job through professional networking, followed by 24% through recruiters, 14% through personal networking , 5% through MENG, and 20% by all other sources combined.

The survey also found that it is taking women longer than their male counterparts to land their next marketing executive position. MENG members averaged 8.5 months in transition, with women marketing executives taking approximately one month longer than their male peers.

Respondents whose job search was successfully completed indicated they wish they had spent more time networking with professional contacts (75%) and leveraging online social networking platforms like LinkedIn (49%).

The MENG Job Search Survey was conducted in the first quarter of 2009 by Aline Strategies. A total of 430 senior marketing professionals who had been in job transition over the past three years contributed to the survey.

More information can be found at http://www.mengonline.com/visitors/newsroom .

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