I’m upset! I have a master’s degree with over 12 years of professional experience – even a great sense of humor! I’m sure, somebody, someplace has got to want a piece of this action.

If you are in the job market as I am, there are some major frustrations along the way. I left the glamorous and lucrative field of higher education administration a couple of years ago to pursue a master’s degree in diplomacy and international commerce.

As it turns out there are significant hurdles to get over. I am not sure that I’m jumping over them, rather running into them. The hurdle I face most often is a specialized education without specialized experience. I have plenty of experience, but none in the field of my graduate schooling.

Is there a solution? I am not certain there is a sure-fire solution. I have over 12 years of professional experience but nearly all of it has been with managing enrollments for colleges. Unfortunately, very little of it has been working with international agencies who know all of the rules and regulations of writing grants for USAID – which is exactly the kind of experience I need. Starting off at an entry-level position is one option, but it would be a major step back on my career ladder.

Where is this going, you might ask? Learning the power of networking is essential to a successful job search.

More than any other career field that I have been exposed to, working in the international arena appears to be more about who knows you than what you know. Of my graduate school colleagues, nearly all have received consideration or have been hired because of someone they knew or someone who knew them. This is a little strange to me because nearly every job I have taken since the completion of my undergraduate degree resulted from my credentials and skills.

Though networking is not a foolproof solution, it appears that investing the time, money, and resources into networking will provide you with invaluable industry contacts. In some cases networking is the only way to get your foot in the door.