The #1 Rule to Networking

The job market is completely different than it was decades ago. The old rule used to be that a person would go to college, graduate, find a job and retire from that job with a pension. If only life were still that simple. Nowadays, the average person can expect to change careers several times before they retire. Some of us rush into this with an attitude that exudes excitement at the very idea of moving from job to job. Others find it a struggle because all we see is yet another downsizing. Whether you're type A or type B or somewhere in between, inevitably you're going to have to face facts. It might not happen today. It might not happen tomorrow. But it will happen. You are going to have to find another job.
If you have read the headlines lately or watched the daily news, you get the sense that the jobs just aren't out there. And even if they are, you understand that finding a new job can be a job within itself. And who has the time? If you say "not me," then you are dead wrong. And that goes double for anyone who is currently employed. The time to begin networking is now. As a matter of fact, you should always be networking. If you're willing to reach out to your fellow coworkers right now, you can be prepared in the event that your company decides to trim the fat. Those of you that have been trimmed know exactly what I'm talking about. Now is the time. Let your boss know what's going on with your projects. Find out what organizations are out there to help you brush up on your job skills. And never forget the no. 1 rule of networking: Always be networking.