Employers are at an advantage during the hiring process because they typically have a pool of applicants from which to choose. You, on the other hand, have to ensure that everything is just right – from your resume, to your interview, to your follow-up plan – you are one person competing with many others and trying to stand out in the crowd.

The best-kept secret for personalizing and focusing your job search is your network.  Networking successfully can be a full-time job on its own; however, the professional rewards are well worth your effort.

Here are some valuable tips to keep in mind when tapping into your network to find a job:

• Remember that everyone has a network, which can include family members, former coworkers, volunteer colleagues, and social media connections.

• Approach networking as a relationship-building process.

• Make specific requests or suggestions to your networking partners in order to help them help you in the best way possible.

• Don’t forget to return the favor when someone comes to you during their own career transition.

Networking takes time and patience; however, it allows you to target your job search as opposed to casting a wide, often arbitrary, net.