Are you looking for a new job? Do you think it's a waste of your time to network? Or maybe you're too nervous to try it? I don't blame you. I'm much better one-on-one and in small-group situations; I wouldn’t want to purposefully sign up to attend a large networking event in hopes of finding a contact who might or might not lead to a new job. But then, when I thought about it some more...I realized that I found my last two jobs through people in my personal network.

Two years ago, a local DC blogger (we read each other's blogs regularly but had never met in person) knew that I was looking for a job. I don't remember how she knew; I think we had been exchanging emails or maybe I'd written something about it on my blog. When a position opened up at the nonprofit where she worked, she emailed me the job description. It sounded like something I could do; I was interested. So I sent her my resume, she made sure it got to the right people, I was called in for an interview (where I was able to meet this blogger for the first time), and I got the job.

Even if I could have gotten the job on my own merit, I didn't know about the opening until she pointed it out to me. I have her to thank for the experience I've gained and the friends I've made over the past few years.

A little over a month ago, my friend J- asked me to send him my resume. I had told him I was looking for something new; his former boss had just put out a call to people in her network because her company had some openings. Luckily for me, J- has referred several people to her in the past and she respects his opinion. The same day that he sent her my resume, I got an email from their Human Resources department. A few days later, I had a date for an interview. A week after the interview, I was told I got the job.

This has been a really huge example for me that certain people come into our lives for a reason. J- and I might not have worked as a couple, but we're friends, and we care about each other, and now I have a new job because of him. There's a good possibility that I'll still have this job years down the road. Who knows who I'll meet, where I'll go, and what I'll learn? I don't know, and that's okay, because I'm looking forward to finding out.

I've submitted my resume many times on random companies' websites, never to hear anything back. People do get hired that way -- I have, in the past -- but you have a huge advantage when you're referred by someone on the inside.

If you don't like networking on purpose -- meeting new people and attending networking mixers for the express purpose of finding a job -- you don't necessarily have to do it that way. Mention it to your real-life friends, as well as your blog friends. If you strike up a random conversation with someone you've just met and they ask what you do for a living, say something like, "Well, I do such-and-such right now but I'm currently hunting for a job in such-and-such field. Do you know of any openings?" The worse they can say is no.

You have to let people know that you're looking. You have to ask for what you want. If you don't, there's a good chance you're going to stay exactly where you are.

I hope that I'm able to help someone get a new job someday. If they feel anywhere near as grateful as I do to my friends, that would be a very nice feeling indeed.

Related Reading

Lemmonex recently found a new job after an eight-month search. She shared her thoughts and recommendations for other people who may be job hunting, including the importance of networking.

Don’t be scared to network and use a recruiter. I found my new position through a really great recruiter...and I think she had my best interests at heart. She knew what I was looking for and found a great fit for me. Sure, working with a third party was sometimes frustrating, but in the end it worked out better than I could have imagined. The job market really blows right now; if you have been searching for months on end with no movement, it may be time to branch out. As far as networking goes, I told anyone and everyone who would listen I was looking. Friends, acquaintances, and even you readers sent job opportunities my way. I was working every angle.

Amanda the Aspiring TV Writer says that networking is essential for getting a job in Hollywood.

All jobs in Hollywood require some kind of networking, since most people hire workers who have been recommended to them, even for the most lowly of production assistant jobs. It's not 100% impossible to find a job via websites like entertainmentcareers.net or Craigslist or something, but be aware that it rarely happens this way - even for jobs that seem less "glamorous"...

Unclutterer: Organizing Your Job Search

(Contributing editor Zandria also blogs at Zandria.us.)