The importance of networking in maintaining and advancing your professional career cannot be overstated. For those looking for ideas about how to expand the reach and strength of your network, here are a few tips:

Find Contacts
The strength of your network is dependent upon the individual people in that network, so the more contacts the better. If you've just graduated (or are about to), broaden your network by talking to your professors. Over the years they've probably met a lot of people and can help steer you in the right direction.

Keeping in the school vein, check with alumni. There should be an alumni coordinator on campus somewhere (usually in either the administration or career services buildings), and they can help you find alumni of your school that work in the field you want to enter. Also, discuss your ambitions with members of your family to see if anybody has any connections in the field you wish to enter.

Do Your Homework
Most of us wanted to get out of school so we wouldn't have to do homework anymore, but when you're looking for a job, it is vitally important.

For each meeting you confirm or for each new potential contact you meet, you need to know what can be accomplished. Do you want to learn about an industry from an insider's viewpoint? If so, then what you'd prepare for a meeting with a contact would be drastically different than if you are trying to have that contact set you up with a job interview at their company. Know what you want from each meeting and set in place methods to get it.

Say Thank You
After a such a meeting where somebody sets you along a new path to new contacts, make sure to write them a thank you note. It doesn't have to be a giant letter, just something to convey to the person that you appreciate the time and effort they spent helping you.

Karma
Make sure that you are available as a contact for other people. If you just obtained an entry level job and a student at your alma mater gets in contact with you, then make yourself available to them.

This is important for two big reasons: first of all, it is the polite and proper thing to do. No matter how much success you have in life, you had help along the way, so why not pass that on. Secondly, the people that you help may be in a position to return the favor in the future.

More resources:
An interview with a successful networker: http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/08/13/networking-tips-from-the-white-house/

A series of articles with advice on networking for entrepreneurs, but applicable to anyone: http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/businessnetworking/Business_Networking_for_Entrepreneurs.htm

We are facing tough economic times and jobs are becoming scarcer. Its time for every young person to start thinking outside the box when it comes to their post-graduation careers. Student Job Link http://www.studentjoblink.com/ is a source of free information.