When you go through different career sites you'll find a lot of articles about networking. Have you ever wondered how to go about it? I'm sure you would have if you are a novice like millions of others. Most people assume that networking is only for head honchos and for those in marketing but that's completely untrue. As an employee of an organisation haven't you mingled with people in departments other than yours? Sometimes even those departments that's diametrically unconnected to the one you are in? Yes, all of us network, consciously or unconsciously but the ones who know how to use it well are the ones who end up climbing up faster than the rest.

I can still remember the time when I had lost a job unexpectedly. The company was downsizing and so a whole lot of us were asked to leave. Losing a job is a painful business and I was too cloistered in my own little world that I didn't know where to turn. However the first thing that I learnt was not to give up hope. As a person who always made sure to stay in touch with all my friends and former colleagues I knew it was only a matter of time before I found the right job.

Most of us overlook the importance of our resume when it comes to landing the right job. As a career document the resume is the first thing that any employer gets to see before he/she actually meets you. So the first thing that I did was updating it and including all the details of my current employer and position. When you want a job badly it is necessary to get proactive especially because you know it's your career that's at stake. As a jobseeker suddenly back in the career market I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to win the race. Landing my ideal job didn't come easy and that's how I learnt how important it is to network.

As soon as I finished updating my profile I made sure that my new updated resume was available in all the leading career websites. In the Internet world that we all live in it is obvious that that's where all leading employers go when they look for a suitable candidate. Sometimes it is all about being seen where it matters the most. But that didn't stop me from looking for other avenues. I made sure to call all my former colleagues to let them in on the fact that I was back in the market looking to be hired. When you talk to different people you get different new ideas and inputs and some of them can be really crucial.

My current job came to me just like that. A former colleague who I got in touch with after a very long time told me about a particular employer who was looking for candidates with my skill set. As a jobseeker frantically trying to get in touch with people I had failed to notice their job post in a leading career website but thankfully talking to someone who had seen it helped me go back and apply before it was too late.

This might not be characterised as full-fledged networking but at times leads like these can help you more than you'll ever know. Staying in touch with people you meet on a professional basis keeps you posted on what's happening around you more than anything else. Networking is a two-way street so you should be willing to share your knowledge, experience and contacts with others too. That's how you build your network. When you take help from someone it's always better to thank them and let them know when you land the job and sometimes even give them leads in return that can be useful to them. Because at the end of the day you never know when you'll need them again.