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Employers are similar. When they post a job on their website or social media, they may be hoping to receive recommendations from their colleagues about potential candidates The more folks who are aware of you and your talents and skills, the more likely you are to be recommended for a role when it becomes available. Keep in mind that networking is often a long-term activity with a long-term pay-off.

Research shows that most folks people find their job opportunities through other folks, and those leads typically come from contacts we see infrequently, rather than close friends and family members (Montgomery, 1991). If you have been reluctant to introduce yourself and connect, remember that the energy you commit to it effort you put in now can continue to benefit you long after you receive land your next job.

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