Written by Carl Freelove, Marketing Manager, Big fish Recruitment

When it comes to career success it's often about who you know, not what you know.

As such, networking can be one of the most important elements of an effective job search strategy thanks to its process of nurturing contacts, which are certain to help sustain and enhance your career.

But if the thought of entering a room full of strangers makes you cringe, then relax and read our top tips (see below) for effective networking and how you can start networking into your dream job:

1. Join several industry/business networking groups and attend as many of their events as possible
2. Try and make sure you talk to at least one new person at each event you go to – don’t just stick with the people you already know
3. If you make a good contact at an event, make sure you follow it up with a quick telephone call or email
4. Sticking your business card under the nose of everyone you meet is annoying. Don’t go into your sales pitch straight away and talk with someone rather than at them
5.  Be natural, be yourself and enjoy the opportunity to meet and learn from other business people
6. Don’t be afraid to walk up to someone and start talking - they are there for the same reasons as you are
7. Don’t ask for a job - The most important thing to remember is that networking is NOT about asking people for a job. It is about asking people for information, advice or assistance
8. Be patient - Remember that networking is a long-term strategy, so don’t get frustrated if the first person you talk to doesn’t offer you a job on the spot! Put time and effort into building up and nurturing your network and it will pay dividends throughout your career
9. Finally, the best attitude is to see the event as a fun opportuntiy to meet like-minded people. Always remember that you get back what you give.

Online networking

Given the current vibrancy of online social networking sites such as Myspace, Facebook and LinkedIn, virtual life can also breed career success.

If you’re currently signed up to an array of online networking websites, make sure you check out any career or industry related discussion forums, groups, message boards and other applications that allow you to interact with people outside your network. These sites are a fantastic resource for making connections and are no different to real-world networking in terms of creating real career opportunities or gathering useful industry contacts.

So whether it’s for insider information on a business, to help understand the aptitudes and training needed for a specific role or to simply meet like minded people, networking represents a fantastic resource for job-seekers to tap into and is a job-search strategy that really works – so have fun!