Heard this before?
"It's not what you know, it's who you know".
Networking is a critical skill to develop, no matter if you've just started out in your career or well into your profession. Remember, some of the best available jobs aren't always advertised.
Here are some handy tips:
Quality vs. quantity - It’s the quality of your contacts that counts, not the number
Be creative - Use social networking sites: Facebook, Blogs, LinkedIn etc.
Be Patient - Business relationships takes time. Get to know people not only from a business perspective
Avoid emergency networking - Build relationships BEFORE you need them
Diversity - Get to know people across different industries and social groups
Get introduced - A personal introduction opens doors you otherwise have no way of entering
Introduce others - The favor will be returned in future
Make random "hello" calls - You don't need to have an agenda or reason