I was speaking to two job searchers recently who both found out fairly suddenly that they were about to be back in the job market. Both were networking extensively – networking being well established as the means through which most professionals find their next role.

For one of them, who had maintained and nurtured her network, things were moving quickly. She was down to a final stage interview for one role and had two other opportunities on the go, all within four weeks of leaving her last post.

The other person was re-establishing key relationships. His contacts were responsive, but he was in the process of ‘activating’ them after not having had much contact over the last year or so.

This reminds me of Harvey Mackay’s book ‘Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty’. Networking is a great job search tool, but it shouldn’t be a reactive thing – tapping into network contacts when you need them. You should proactively build and develop your network all the time, so that it’s there – ready – when you need it.