Four months ago Irene, a high-school teacher,  approached me with her desire to change careers. She had been in the educational sector for over 10 years and run dry – she dreaded getting up in the morning to go to work.

After a few sessions it became clear that being an editor would align who she is with what she does.  We prepared her for networking like a “pro”. Yesterday she called me: after two months of emailing, cold calls, informational interviews, attending publishing events and speaking with 89 people about her interest, she had been invited to interview with one of the publishing houses that have offices on Times Square.  “I now get what you had in mind in encouraging me to embrace every opportunity to network. It turns out, I had spoken with a woman in my gym about my passion for editing, and she encouraged me to send her my resume as her brother-in-law is a VP at this publishing house.” Now we are getting her ready for her interviews. She will be ready, no doubt.

Are you seeking to find a job? Do you desire to find the job, the one that makes you want to get up every morning and dedicate more than half of your waking life to? There are few strategies as powerful as networking, in good, and especially, in bad economic times.

With effective networking you deepen your insights about an industry and career. If you already know what you want to do, networking cultivates these invaluable connections that move you towards and prepare you for meeting the decision-maker, the ‘person-who-has-the-power-to-hire-you’ as Dick Bolles, the well-known author of “What color is your parachute”, words it so pointedly.