Job seekers are focusing more and more on networking and forming professional connections in their job searches. But what if you are a recent graduate? Or are looking to break into a new industry, an industry in which you have no contacts? At times, job seekers may feel that building a network of professionals who will help them achieve career success can be a difficult task. At OneWire, we want to make it easy for job seekers to find and communicate with professionals that will help them in their job search.

We want to help you search for the right people who will help advance your career. Once you have completed your OneWire profile, you can find them instantly when you search by:

•    Education: degree, field of study, graduation year, club / organization, and sports involvement
•    Career experience and interest: industry, sector, and company
•    Geographic area: country, state / province, and city

Our tools allow you to tap into your school network to expand your professional network. Remember, you always have complete control over your OneWire profile and can always alter your privacy preferences to control who can network with you.

Once you have built your network, you will need to find ways to stay in touch with them. No one wants to be contacted only once every 3 years when you happen to be looking for a new job. Your network is there to help you when you need it, but keep in mind that your network is made up of people who have their own professional agendas and goals, so you cannot participate in your network only when it is convenient for you. In a recent Careerendipity post, lauriebartolo lists "Five Ways to Stay in Touch with your Networking Contacts" -- here they are:

1. Getting together for things you would do anyway

2. Sharing information

3. Getting together for fun stuff

4. Connecting online

5. Traditional "courtesies"

OneWire can help you with number 4. As for the rest, you will know which methods of staying connected are most appropriate for the professionals in your network. Some of your contacts may be lifelong friends, which might mean that number 3 is appropriate, whereas others may be professionals in an industry you would like to break into, which might mean that you are comfortable maintaining a solely professional relationship.

Job seekers, how do you go about building your network? Which method of staying in touch do you find most successful?