About a decade ago my job search had me using my personal network and paper job lists. I found a job in Denver with the Western States Arts Federation through the ArtJob newsletter that later transitioned into the ArtJob website. The days of circling things in the classified ads and mailing resumes are long gone.

I applied for a tech position there and then emailed my network to find out if anybody knew the Executive Director there. It just so happened that my friend Peggy Baggett - who I had done work with through the Virginia Travel and Tourism Institute - at the Virginia Arts Council had a personal connection. I think that that personal connection gave me the edge.

That was a world with no Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter. Text messaging wasn't common and SMS had just started taking off.

On December 3, 1992, an engineer named Neil Papworth sent the very first SMS with "MERRY CHRISTMAS" on it, to his collegeagues at Vodafone in Great Britain. But it was 7 years later that texting really took off.

from textually.org

In 2003 Linkedin came into being. In 2006 Twitter came onto the scene. For me, these two services became a game changer altering the way I approached seeking work.

Through all this there is one common thread in the job search. Your network is the key to success.

80% of jobs are filled through networking. You have to network every single day.

from: ABC News Article

Most people pore over Job web sites like Monster or aggregating sites like Indeed but almost no jobs are filled that way.

Recently, when I decided to become a freelancer, I began contacting folks in my network. Personally I use Linkedin as my professional network and relegate Facebook to my friends. I sent my resume to some key people and asked my network to help me out. This isn't unlike the old days, however, the mode of communication ended up being completely different.

• I found that I was being DMed on Twitter to set up personal meetings.
• SMS also became central to communications to set up meetings
• When one possible job opportunity came along, I was contacted by influencers using Skype

At this point, all three of the freelance positions that I've found have come through my network.

The point to this post really is, don't be frightened to ask for help. Your network is your greatest asset in your job search toolbox. Leverage the new communication tools that have been created. If you haven't started building a network on a site like Linkedin - don't wait until you need it when looking for a job, start NOW.

photo credit - utopianbranchlibrary on Flickr