If you asked a friend or family member for job search advice, I'm betting they told you to "work your network." I know what you're thinking - that's easier said than done. If applying to jobs on job boards is a "1" on the difficulty scale, working a network might be a "9."

Can you afford to ignore networking in your job search strategy? For most companies, 30-50% of their hires come from employee referrals, so without a networking element you might be cutting your chance of finding a job in half. The majority of companies pay a bounty to their employees, often $1,000 to $5,000, for helping them bring in "known" talent. So let's start by saying, unbeknownst to you, your friends and neighbors might have a significant financial incentive to help you find a job at their company.

The goal of networking is to get a warm introduction to a hiring manager. It's one thing to submit a blind resume on a Website, and it's a whole other thing to have a friend call the hiring manager and say "my friend Joe is a rock star, and I heard that he might be coming onto the job market due to financial issues at his company." Nothing gets the juices of a hiring manager going than knowing a proven performer might be interested in his or her position. For hiring managers, the fear of making a bad hire is at the top of their list of concerns. Anything that reduces this risk, including an endorsement from a known entity, can quickly sway their hiring decision.

So, what can you do? I'd start by reaching out to your friends and acquaintances, explaining your situation and asking for their help. There's no shame in searching for a job during this severe recession - they'll understand. I'd complement this with using the popular social networks, liked Linkedin and Facebook, to see where you might have connections to a company. These services can tell you if a friend of a friend works at a particular company, and give you a means to request an introduction to someone at the firm via your friend connections.

If you're not already networking, I hope you'll add this critical element to your job search strategy. It might make all the difference in the world.

Rob McGoven is the CEO and founder of Jobfox. For the past 15 years he has helped people get ahead in their careers. Rob started Jobfox to help workers connect with employers in a whole new way. Prior to Jobfox, he was the founder and CEO of Careerbuilder. In his spare time, he wrote the book Bring Your "A" Game: The 10 Career Secrets of the High Achiever.

Last updated: January 2010