Networking – the mere mention of the word sends most job seekers cowering under a pile of help wanted ads, praying that an employer is looking for them, so they do not have to expose themselves to this high stress, ego-threatening activity.

The sad reality is that the vast majority of job opportunities (some statistics say as high as 85%) will never appear in the help wanted section of a newspaper or posted on any job board. The vast majority of jobs are landed as a direct result of who you know – referrals from your network of contacts!

I’ll let you in on some information these statistics fail to make clear – the people who find employment as a result of networking already had a network in place. Building and maintaining a network of contacts takes time. In other words, you don’t want to wait until you are unemployed to start building a network – you may get very hungry before you land another job!

Although the term “networking” may not be a part of our every day vocabulary, the action related to networking is something we partake in almost every day. It goes something like this: “I need to find a good mechanic to work on my car. Can you suggest someone?” or “I came across a great soup recipe. My mother-in-law told me you love soup; would you like a copy of the recipe?” Networking – building relationships by giving and receiving information to help people (and remind them that they are not alone.)

For me to survive as a self-employed professional, it is critical that I know a lot of people and that these people are aware of what I know. It is also critical that they trust that what I know will benefit them or someone they know – and so grows my network. Networking is all about making contacts, asking for and sharing information, showing appreciation, and continuing to nurture and maintain those contacts.

If you are not currently looking for employment and are beginning to realize that your professional network is very small (it may be limited to your current co-workers, as mine was for many years), then I have a great book recommendation for you. “Networking for Job Search and Career Success” by L. Michelle Tullier, Ph.D. is probably one of the best “how-to” manuals I ever picked up. If you follow Tullier’s practical tools, advice and worksheets, I guarantee you will be in better control of your current and future career success.

If you are unemployed, have no fear. Start by looking for information versus looking for openings. Decide what information you need that will lead you to that next job or employer. Talk to the people you already know and ask if they can provide you with any of this information. If they can, thank them, and ask if they can refer you to anyone who might have additional information. If they can’t, ask if they know anyone who can. Build from there; talking to more people, gathering more information, and making more people aware of who you are, what you know, and what you can do for a prospective employer.

Networking is a skill, and just like driving a car, it is something you can learn to do – and definitely should!