Since only a small fraction of job opportunities will ever be advertised, it pays to network, says John Shattock, Auckland-based PR and marketing consultant.

But Shattock says there is more to networking than trying to meet someone who might give you a job.

"An employment candidate might think of the network as a direct source of potential employers, which they may well be. But it works more powerfully if the network is actually a source of people who would recommend you to a potential employer."

He says a referral is one of the most valuable things you can hope to gain through networking. A recommendation from someone who they already know and trust can save a potential employer a lot of hassle.

"People often prefer the recommendation of someone else ahead of doing their own research, provided that the someone else is someone that they know and trust," says Shattock.

But not all referrals are created equal. There is the sales lead where you're simply given someone's name and contact details. Then there is the introductory referral where you're introduced over the phone and the person is told to expect your call.

"Sales leads can convert at 10 to 15 per cent maybe. When I ask people about the last 10 introductory referrals they received, 70 to 80 per cent lead onto business for them."

An introductory referral can easily make you a shoe-in for your ideal job. But to receive one, you have to be known and trusted. And that's where networking comes in.

"The best way to become known and trusted is to do things for other people instead of being seen to just be grasping in your own interests."

But a good network of contacts does not materialise overnight so it pays to start early.

"The key thing is to be involved in networking before you need it. It's not the kind of thing where you can rock up to a network in a job hunting situation all of a sudden and decide that you're going to do it then."

Shattock says everyone should be involved in some kind of networking all the time, whether they think they need to or not.

"It's got benefits for employees. It's got benefits for job hunters. It's certainly got benefits for business owners and partners. It's not just getting business and getting jobs."

Since a network of family and friends only reaches so far, Shattock recommends using professional organisations.

"Get involved in organisations which provide networking opportunities. Go along regularly and consistently to their meetings."

But just showing up is not networking.

"A lot of people just regard the networking opportunity as the meeting and that's it. But of course it's not, because that doesn't get you known and trusted. You have to meet one-on-one with people outside the meetings so that you really build up your network."