Only about 5 percent of people obtain jobs through the "open" job market -- consisting primarily of help-wanted ads on the Internet and in print publications. Another 24 percent obtain jobs through contacting companies directly -- the cold-calling method of job-hunting. Twenty-three percent obtain jobs through such means as employment agencies, college career-services offices and executive-search firms.

The remaining 48 percent -- nearly half of all jobhunters, obtain their jobs through referrals -- that is word of mouth. How do they get referrals and find out about jobs through word of mouth? By networking. What is networking? Find out everything you need to know by going to The Art of Networking.

[Source: U.S. Department of Labor, 2001]