By Andrew Beccue

Without a job, it seems impossible to force yourself to go to conferences, conventions, or job rallies. You may feel like it’s all been done before, so why bother? What you may not realize is that everything you do on a daily basis reflects who you are and that is what people are most interested in when they hire you. The thing that can give you the edge against all others who may share your skill-set and college degree is your own personality, world view, and job ethics.

Networking is not always something you do consciously. When you talk to your neighbors, or strike up a conversation with a stranger at the bus stop, you are networking. If people know you, and know you are capable; they are more likely to hire you. In this age of Facebook and blogs, the emphasis is on getting to know individuals. Employers as well as customers want to know who you are.

Here are some tools you can use to utilize your most important asset: yourself.

Internet: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogger. All these sites can be used for both personal and professional networking. Often, the two sides correlate and if you get to know someone personally, they are more likely to hire you. People don’t want to wade through applications; if they know you (or someone they know knows you) they will hire you first.

Contribute to the professional literature: Even if you are not techno savvy, you can write field » Read more: Networking: Everyday Networking