It wasn’t terribly long ago when professional networking consisted of a little grip-and-grin at a business breakfast mixer or a teacher association gathering. The food was good, sometimes, but actually building your personal “network” typically didn’t extend much beyond the people seated at your table or who you bumped into on the buffet line.

But today, thanks to the Internet, a world of professional contacts is just a mouse-click away. Between email groups, bulletins, blogs, job boards and all manner of sites dedicated specifically to building industry and social contacts, there’s no shortage of resources empowering you to expand your own net.

Unfortunately, it seems, few of us take full advantage of the technological tools available to us to get our careers moving forward. A recent survey of 1,805 managers by ExecuNet, an online career services firm, revealed that 84 percent of those polled said they believe in a broad network of personal and professional contacts is essential for success in business. Still, just 19 percent said their own networks are in “good” or “excellent” shape.

That’s a shame, because ExecuNet also found that 70 percent of human resources chiefs say they rely heavily on referrals and other networking contacts to find candidates for executive job openings – jobs that are rarely advertised.

Networking is also important in the education sector, where strong contacts can be tapped for job placements, promotions and professional development opportunities.

If you’re like most people, your own “net” could use a boost.

To get started, we first must change how we define networking. It is not something you do only when you’re looking for a job. And it certainly isn’t about hitting friends and colleagues up for jobs or other favors when you need their help.

Networking is an ongoing process of developing positive relationships/friendships with people inside and outside of your professional circle. These contacts can benefit you by providing valuable information, insights, and/or introductions that impact your work life and, possibly, further your career. But just like any other relationship, you must also provide help to your contacts in the same form to truly make the most of this important tool.

Anyone and everyone you know should be considered a part of your network. Getting past your own biases and assumptions about people will enable you to build a truly eclectic and robust network.

Perhaps you’re in sales and want to move into management. How do you know your favorite barista at the corner coffee shop doesn’t have a CEO uncle looking to expand his business? Maybe a former professor of yours, who always seemed to be professionally plugged in, knows about a job that goes unposted?

Maybe you’re a newly certified teacher or corporate trainer looking for new job? Who is to say that your brother-in-law’s sister doesn’t have a line on a great opportunity?

If you’ve thought outside the box and cultivated a wide array of contacts, you may well find that the most unlikely sources become your best leads.

Just meeting someone and giving them your card doesn’t cut it when comes to networking. These are valuable people and should be treated accordingly.

Remember to forward them an article you think they would enjoy, pass a job lead on to them whether or not they are in the market, or send them an email every few months or so just to see how they are doing. The point is that you don’t want to contact them only when you need something from them.

A few simple, personal gestures like these pay off in the long run when they may come across an opportunity perfect for you. Had you not corresponded with key people, you likely wouldn’t come to mind when they are in a position to help you. Note: There is a fine line between keeping in touch and pestering. Use common sense when making contact with people.

Also, realize that all of your contacts can leverage their own networks to your benefit. You never know if the person who knows the information you seek or can put get you in touch with the right people is only one contact away from you. There is definitely a ripple effect in networking, so cultivating a strong, positive circle is essential.

Thinking outside the box nowadays also means reaching out far beyond your physical circle of contacts. Technology has opened the floodgates to professional development opportunities. Your network truly can stretch across continents and oceans, thanks to the Internet.

Oliver Schwabe, a dedicated online networker and faculty member in JIU’s MBA and education programs, offers a few simple steps to get you on the right track to online networking. Among them:

• Get MS Outlook.
• Get a Skype account – Internet phone service for free or low-cost long distance.
• Set up an email account with Google, MSN, or Yahoo Messenger for live chats.
• Use Google or other search engines groups and blogs to zero in on the subjects/fields you are interested in. To ensure they serve your needs, monitor them for several weeks before responding to comments of interest. Down the road, you may want to take it up a notch and create your own blog.
• If your goal is to find a new job, subscribe to major job boards so positions of interest are regularly mailed to you.
• Post a profile on LinkedIn—a 9 million subscriber-strong social networking site with a professional bent—and take your networking efforts online.
• Subscribe to Plaxo, a popular online address book service that provides automatic updating of contact information.

While it may be intimidating to begin tapping the vast networking opportunities on the web, you will likely be able to narrow your focus on groups and sites that appeal to your interests and goals. You’ll also be surprised to find how many people already in your network are hooked up to the same online networking sites to which you subscribe.

Despite all the technological advantages you have to cultivate and nurture your network from the comfort of your own home, it still doesn’t hurt to get out for some real face time with potential contacts. This could include joining (and attending events) of professional associations, going to work-related social gatherings, volunteer work, and good old-fashioned networking brunches.

The beauty of effective networking is that you never know if your next opportunity may be discovered on the web or over a cruller and cappuccino.