Networking is a key skill. It’s not about contacting everyone you know when you are looking for job. It starts long before the job search and you probably don’t even realize you are doing it. You are networking when you talk to other parents at sports day, when you chat at the gym or at lunch with colleagues as well as when you are at professional and trade association meetings.

Good networking is about building alliances and cultivating relationships. It’s a two-way – so look to add value, ask what you can do for others. What goes around comes around; build your network, broaden your horizons, and help your contacts where you can.