The key to doing a successful networked oriented job search is to understand that it is driven by human nature. Human nature SCREAMS that people hire people they already know and trust much more often than they hire people they've never seen before their life.
A console to the above statement is that the biggest reason (really the only reason) someone is considering hiring someone they've never met in their life is that they don't already know of someone that could do the job.
One of the strongest skills of effective networking therefore is to identify people who are already doing the things you think you want to do.
And I am here to tell you that if I had a dollar for every time a client of mine over the last 29 years has said words to the effect that they don't know anybody who's in the field of think they want to go into-well I would be much better off.
It may very well be true that one does not know of anybody in a certain field; however, there's a very simple way to begin meeting people who are already doing the work you think you want to do so that you can get none. That very simple way is just a start asking. That can be frightful for some people so let's take a look at this.
Consider making a list of everybody that you feel safe with in your life. Who might that be? It could be family, friends, acquaintances, your minister, your doctor, your dentist, your wife, your husband, your significant other, your brother your sister I think you get the idea.
Then you go to each one of them in a manner and in a way that is safe for you and simply asked them "Who do you know that does this occupation?" While not everyone you know may know of someone who was already in the field you're thinking about you will be surprised and many times absolutely flabbergasted by the number of names you will glean from this activity. Then you follow up with these people using whatever networking technique you're comfortable with.
