Who do you ask when you need a big favor fast?

Harvey Mackay's book, Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty, tells of a man who received a phone call at 2 a.m. The caller was someone he hadn't talked to in over ten years, and he was nearly hysterical. His company was broke, and he desperately needed a loan of $20,000 to avoid going to jail. The man chose to loan the caller a small amount, although he easily could have loaned the entire $20,000. The caller hadn't been in touch.

Keeping a vital network is especially important in your career. Don't wait until you're in a pinch to contact people in your network and expand it. Everyone knows networking is critical when job hunting. As soon as you lose your job, start networking like crazy. Unfortunately, desperation networking is much less effective than consistent, intelligent networking.

Marty found this out the hard way. He started networking after his last company collapsed. Within two weeks a friend set him up for an interview with his boss. It didn't feel right: it wasn't what he wanted to do, he didn't like the boss, and it was quite a commute. Still, he needed to eat, so he took it.

Once he started work, there were so many problems to solve and so much to do. Many of the accounts had been badly mismanaged. He worked tirelessly to straighten out problems with dissatisfied customers and bring order to the department. As the department turned around, there was even more work. He worked harder, and half convinced himself that he liked the job. Of course, there was no time to continue networking. "Well, that was only partly true," Marty later admitted.

Being busy was a great excuse. Let's face it. Most of us find it very uncomfortable to talk to strangers. We can live in a fantasy world to avoid it. Marty got a hard dose of reality when the boss suddenly decided to replace him. He was shown the door with nary a thank you for all his hard work and no severance package. Then it was back to desperation networking.

Remember, part of networking is giving to other people. The best networkers know that networking is much more than passing around resumes. It involves building relationships over time. Many people never learn the importance of giving before you receive.

Here's how four others have taken action to keep their networks vital and growing. Sharon took the initiative to get involved in interdepartmental projects. It has been more work, but now she is well known outside of her department, and has strong relationships with three department heads, besides her own. In many professional associations, members come to meetings, but won't volunteer for work.

Dwight volunteered to serve as an officer. In the course of his duties, he got to know dozens of people in his industry. He also volunteered to coordinate the publication of job openings, so he could have an ear to the ground should he need to make a move.

Richard has actively sought out people in his industry, both within his company and outside it. He makes a point of introducing himself, takes time to meet for lunch, shares ideas, and is genuinely interested in the challenges and successes of others.

Renee volunteered to work on the board of a nonprofit organization, and has come to know many key people in the community.

It's work to network effectively. It often involves taking risks. It can also be very rewarding in terms of friendship, being of service to others, and having a lifeline when you need it. 

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About the Author: Jack Chapman