Jobs networking – reaching out to your network of friends, colleagues (current and past), and other contacts (hey, your drycleaner may have great job tips!) – is a great way to jumpstart your job search.

Basically, jobs networking involves getting the word out to everyone you know that you’re looking for a job (any job!), or a specific type of job, or a job with a specific company. The more people who know what you’re looking for, the more possibilities there will be that someone will hear of an opening, or know of a contact, or be able to set up an introduction for you.

How to Make Job Networking Work for You
If your goal is to connect with a job opportunity, consider job networking to be one of your strongest tools. You’ve got three great ways to approach this:

• In person with friends. Meet face-to-face with your friends, and let them know what you’re looking for. Ask them if they know of any relevant job opportunities, or people to connect with, or resources to check out. Then ask what you can do to help your friends in return. They can benefit from employment networking as much as you can!

• In person with networking groups. Consider joining a local professional or volunteer group to meet a new community of people who may also be able to help you connect with job opportunities. Again, give back – volunteer to help on a committee or at an event. Any networking involves giving as much as taking.

• Online. If you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing a great opportunity to connect virtually with hundreds of potential friends and colleagues who can respond to your request for help with job leads, connections, and advice. Social network sites like LinkedIn are job networking on steroids.

What about Employment Networking for People with Disabilities?
Employment networking can be especially powerful for people with disabilities because a personal connection or introduction allows a friend or colleague to introduce you based on your skills and qualifications rather than being first judged by your perceived disabilities. Or, if your LinkedIn profile includes recommendations about how terrific and smart and reliable you are from previous bosses and colleagues, potential employers to whom friends have recommended you have an opportunity to see your strengths before they form any other opinions about your capabilities.

Jobs Networking Lets Others Help You – and You Help Others
Whether you call it jobs networking, employment networking, or professional networking, networking for jobs, whether in person or online, gives your friends and colleagues the opportunity to be advocates for you (a favor which you will, of course, return when needed!). Although the old cliché used to be “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” in today’s employment world, it’s both. So sit down and figure out what you’re looking for in terms of employment, and then start getting the word out. People won’t know to offer help if you don’t let them know it’s needed!

See Related Articles
Check out these tips for negotiating your salary with an employer in, Salary Negotiation: How to Negotiate a Salary that’s Fair.

When is it a good idea to seek the advice of a career coach? See Is a Career Coach For You? for answers.