Many job seekers still underestimate the power of networking, as they don't see the value of the incredible reach a network can give. Are you one of them? Then this article is definitely for you!

Have you heard about the 6 degrees of separation?

In the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram made an experiment to get parcels to given recipients in the world, using nothing except the network of personal acquaintances. The astonishing result was that wherever they were on the planet, there was on average only 6 people distance between sender and recipient. Translated to your case: you are connected to any job on earth with 6 intermediaries on average. Did you change your perspective? Are you ready to tap into the power of networking? Then here is how to start:

There is a great tool existing already that takes advantage of the 6 degrees of separation - and this tool is called LinkedIn. Being connected there to only 300 people can give you access to a total of 6 million (!) professionals. There might be as much as 18,000 new people joining your personal network daily.
So how to really use the power of networking on LinkedIn to land you a job? Here are my top 5 tips on that:

Tip #1 - Prepare a good profile. Make sure it is 100% complete, it contains a clear and consistent personal branding message as well as all relevant keywords for which you would like to be found.

Tip #2 - Earn your expert status. If you want to get into the radar of recruiters, you need to position yourself as an expert in your field (hint: only in the area where you are really an expert). How can you demonstrate your expertise? Well, it starts with your profile branding and goes all the way long through answering questions related to your field, participating in group discussions, sharing, offering resources, solutions or industry news.

Tip #3 - Create a big network. There are lots of ways to do this, still, many people do not use all possibilities. To start with, import your email contacts. Then think of any previous or current colleagues, managers, friends, classmates, suppliers and clients and invite them to connect (hint: as a courtesy to others - and to avoid being reported for spamming - send personalised connect invites). But you are not done with this building your network. Browse through your connections' contacts and see who you know from there. Invite members of groups you are part of. Connect with open networkers or with connectors (people with 1000+ connections). Add any new people you meet on trainings, conferences, at the hairdresser or on the street - you never know who among them will be the key to your next job.

Tip #4 - Engage with the people you connect to. A golden rule of networking: give them first, before asking. Check how you could be of help to them. Get out your way to offer them support, news on latest industry trends and methodologies, connect them with others who might be of help to them, exchange best practices. Soon you will discover that they will be as eager to help you as you were. And not least important, your name will be remembered not as a job seeker (everyone is running away from job seekers!) but as someone knowledgeable in their field, someone whose remarkable expertise might be worth taking on board. This is a huge difference: instead of playing the job hunter you will get hunted.

Tip #5 - Stay focussed. Don't get into the trap of spending hours on LinkedIn in the quest of growing your network. Add a focus to your work - define your objective and prepare a target company list. This can be easily done on LinkedIn with the advanced company search function where you can select criteria like industry, location, company size etc. In the search results you will also see if any of the companies have jobs on LinkedIn and who you have in your network who is working there. You can choose to follow companies and get updates on news. By using this function you not only build a relevant and well-targeted list but you will spend your time on LinkedIn efficiently, and most importantly, you will bring in a more pro-active approach as opposed to just waiting to be found.

Enthused? How about trying out these techniques - right now? You will be surprised by the results!