This is probably the most underrated and yet most important aspect of your job search. Everyone knows someone somewhere. But, do you actually have a list of whom you know and where they are located?

Do you keep in contact with them? Are you expanding your network? How can you connect with those you have lost track of?

Essentially you need to develop your electronic Rolodex. You need to sit down as soon as possible and start listing those people. And be sure to add their contact details to your list. You might also enlist your spouse to help you with this task. Develop this list over a period of time and you will be amazes at how many people you know, or are associated with!

Where to start?

1. Any clubs you may belong to.

2. Any service organizations.

3. Your graduating class from high school, college or university.

4. Your neighbours.

5. Your family.

6. Your friends.

7. Friends of your family.

8. People you have dealt with over the past year such as your lawyer, banker, doctor, broker, store owners and managers, travel agent, insurance broker, car dealer, etc.

9. Your suppliers.

10. If you volunteered to help a political party, contact fellow volunteers and the candidate you helped.

In fact the list can be, and actually is, endless.

What in the world are you going to do with this massive list of people? Well, the first thing you are NOT going to do is ask them for a job! What you are going to do is open the lines of communications with them.

A simple note or email telling them you are interested in maintaining contact, re-building connections for future considerations, or perhaps even getting together for a coffee sometime in the future are valid reasons for connecting, or re-connecting. This informal networking group can be maintained with a simple email program. In order to make it even more powerful, it can be combined with one or more of the many professional e-networking groups found on the internet.

Maintain those connections by offering to assist them in any way if they might need in the future. Every year update those connections by sending them at least one or two updates of your own. By doing this you will be astounded at how large and varied your network will become.

Once your network is established, healthy and active, it is a simple matter to let everyone know you are in job search mode. Now you have the potential of thousands of others helping you in your search.

This is true power! Start today!