By Laurie Berenson, CPRW

I love social media, don’t get me wrong, but the downfall of today’s social media is that it can give people a false sense of security that they are effectively networking. Spending time on LinkedIn or Twitter is a smart component to your job search plan, but in order to reap the full benefits of networking, you need to back away from the computer, pick up the phone, attend a business card exchange or other networking event, or meet up with a former colleague for coffee or drinks. In other words, network the old fashioned way, the way we networked before we became addicted to so many of these networking sites.

Here are some networking tips for job seekers –

General advice –

Talk to anyone and everyone. Don’t judge a book by its cover or prejudge someone’s effectiveness when deciding with whom to network and share job leads. You never know who someone’s uncle is. You never who their next door neighbor is. You never know what their old college roommate does.  Part of networking is a numbers game, so be sure to speak with as many people as possible about your areas of expertise and your job search target.

Specific, actionable advice –

Create a target list of companies for whom you’d like to work. Network and research these » Read more: Networking: Tips for Job Seekers