“It's all about people. It's about networking and not burning any bridges. Your book is going to impress, but in the end it is people that are going to hire you.”   - Mike Davidson

 Finding a job in today’s economy seems like the most daunting experience in this whole wide world, but nevertheless every problem has got a hack. So is the case with this one.

What might be that rudimentary essential we are missing out on, which makes job search as simple as child’s play?

The answer to the question lies in one word- Networking.

The most important tool to making your job hunting full of alternatives and the ones which will definitely fetch you the job you desire. So, without further ado, let’s go through the discussion below to understand the five easy steps to building a job search network.

1)    Know the People Around You

Yes you already have a network! Right from your family members to relatives, friends and acquaintances. All you need is to make a note of all these people who might refer you or help you out to gain helpful references.

Think about people from your college, church, your Facebook friends, people you’ve met during events and your best friend’s boss. Also include people like your doctor, landlord, accountant or gym instructor.

Each network connects you to another one and each member may know of a job opening or someone who will know of one.

2)    Reach out to the people you know

All these connections won’t be of any use, if they don’t know about your situation. You need to intimate the fact that you’re looking for a job and need possible references that might get you a job interview.

This step will be quite efficacious if you have specific employer targets and career objectives. Being accurate and focused in your job hunt is always preferable to going for a generic one. Ask for specific information and leads to make it easier for your networking source.

Not to forget, prefer starting with your references- the people who like you and can endorse your skills and track record to a potential employer.

3)    Start working on your Communication

Communication is the life-blood of any network, but it does exist with a high probability of a person getting misunderstood. So, it’s high time you start working on your communication and other essentials like attentive listening, usage of non-verbal cues, maintain the right body language, stress management and recognition of yourself & person you’re communicating with. Along with this, give due importance to building and maintaining relationships. Inculcate qualities like being authentic, considerate and specific when talking to your network.

Taking the help of Social media websites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and creating & maintaining an online profile might just make this process simple for you. Try being part of communities with the same domain of interest as yours. Be an active participant in the discussions held on them to increase your reach and intellect.

4)    Make The Evaluation Required

Being a beginner, it might just happen that you feel your network going nowhere. Panicking for sure won’t help. Such situations require you to keep your cool and evaluate the quality of the network you’re building. Gauge it on the strengths, weaknesses and the potential it has.

Take out time to assess the area in which you’re network is lacking and the connections which are holding you back. If you feel that it is out of date, then make amends to upgrade.

5)    Maintenance is Equally important

Maintaining your job network is as significant as building it. Creating a pile of new contacts won’t help, if you don’t nurture the present ones. Avert the irrational urge to meet as many new people as possible at the cost of your present contacts, quality being the prime motive rather than quantity.

Building a network sure does require a great deal of effort and time, but once you cultivate it properly, you’ll definitely discover bountiful opportunities and immense expertise & knowledge. So, just keep trying and stay motivated.