Networking is very important in our daily lives. Often the best jobs and opportunities are not advertised but filled by word of mouth. With this in mind, a good idea is to go and find them yourself. How is this done, do I hear you ask? By the simple process of networking.

A number of people feel networking is waste of time and it has no effect on personal relationships or being successful in your business. This concept is completely incorrect. Relationships and business have been built via the networking process for hundreds of years.

Networking is not about meeting hundreds of people, interacting with them with them and then never meeting them again. It’s but about getting to know each other and finding out if you are able to make the relationship mutually beneficial for both of you. If you aren’t able to – then see if you can introduce them to someone more compatible to their business.

A simple example of how easy networking can be is the example of a woman who used to love writing articles. One day she decided to donate one of her articles to the local newspaper so it could be published and people around the world could have the chance to read it. The article focused on an event, which was coming up and was hosted by a woman’s publishing group. The group not only liked the article, they appreciated what she had done, so they recommended her to a national magazine. So now, not only does she get to write regular articles, she also gets paid for it. This example shows how networking can be done easily, if well thought out. Touching base with a few people can in fact lead to reaching many.

By referring your friends or relatives whom you think are well suited for a job is another way to network. I heard a story of someone recommending a friend for a teaching position with a nonprofit organization. Interestingly enough after getting the position, he returned the favor by referring his friend into a job he had heard about. Funny how things work out!

Family and friends are the easiest and best way to increase your network among colleagues and friends. There are many industries that work on filling positions this way and some even pay commission.

When looking for a new job, it may be worth joining a networking group focusing on the sector of business you are interested in. It’s a great way to meet people, do research into companies by asking questions of those people who work there. Often the opportunity may just be within that particular networking group.

The examples above show that in order to network effectively and in an efficient manner, you do not need to be outgoing or know a lot of people. All it requires is being creative, listen well, ask relevant questions and develop a good reputation with others. You would be amazed at how many doors will open for you.