Networking can be the single most successful job hunting strategy that you’ll use in your search for a position, whether it’s a new role in your present company or a job with a new employer. Networking is one of those words that have a frightening reputation. Everyone knows that it means – though most people can’t do more than give you a few specific examples of what it really is.

In a nutshell, networking is no more or no less than marketing yourself and your skills. When you’re selling a product, you find as many ways to expose it to its potential market as possible. When your product is your skills and your time, you should take as many opportunities as possible to make yourself familiar to your potential market – employers who are seeking candidates for direct marketing jobs. Chances are that you’ve thought about the obvious, but what about some of the more subtle ways to expose your name and your abilities to a wider market? Check the list below to see how many of the networking strategies are ones that might help you learn about and land the direct marketing jobs that you want.

- Attend professional direct marketing conferences and meetings.

Where else would you find a large gathering of people in your profession than at a meetings and conferences devoted to it? Professional conferences offer an excellent opportunity to meet decision makers and make your name and interests known to them.

- Subscribe and contribute to online direct marketing networks and forums.

Is it a waste of your time to respond to discussions on forums that deal with marketing and sales methods? Not at all, say most recruitment experts, as long as you keep your demeanor professional. More than one person has landed a lucrative consultancy or long term position after making a name for themselves as a valuable contributor to the field in an online community.

- Make the time to talk to at least one person daily who isn’t on your priority contact list.

Ask them about their work and what they’re up to. Listen to them when they respond. Have dinner out with someone at least once a week.

- Attend training courses regularly.

- Offer to present at meetings or conferences, and bring people in to present at your own meetings.

- When you find something interesting and useful, pass it on to others who might also be interested in it.

- Engage an entire network to help you find a direct marketing job.

The more people with their eyes peeled, the more likely you’ll be to find a position to fill. Keep in mind when you approach people in your network that you are not asking them for a job – you are asking them for advice and help. The most effective approach is to let them know that you’re looking to move jobs, and ask their advice on how to best go about approaching a company they know, or for recommendations of recruitment firms. Ask for the names of two people you can contact to ask for the same general advice.