You've heard that networking is the best way to land a job, but you still reject the idea. It's much easier to submit your resume online.

Instead of thinking about how much you dislike schmoozing and meeting people you don't know, be open to the idea of learning about companies and uncovering things you have in common with complete strangers.

[See: 25 Awesome Business Jobs for 2016 .]

There's no such thing as a bad networking contact. Shift your belief that networking is a waste of time. Every person you know (or meet) could potentially connect you to a valuable resource. It doesn't matter what the person does or where they work. The person who cuts your hair sees hundreds of people a week and the person who rings up your groceries may know someone who could help you. Even your unemployed friends meet with people and learn about job opportunities. So before you judge, treat every person you know as if they hold the key to your next job. Keep in mind, it's your responsibility to clearly communicate what you are looking for so people can help.

Make a list. List everyone you know and don't filter out contacts. You can assign a rating next to each person's name to indicate the quality or potential of their information. For example, you may decide to list people who work inside your industry or profession as a "1," people you know very well, but are not in your field as a "2" and all other contacts as a "3." Using a rating system can help you prioritize your outreach. Your next step is to reach out to every person on your list either through email or the phone. Your personalized message to each person will include a request to meet or have a phone call to catch up and ask questions about X. You have to fill in the blank based on the person you are messaging. You might ask questions about what's happening at the company or changes in the industry. Avoid focusing on the fact that you are looking for a job. This tends to result in a dead-end response like: "We aren't hiring right now."

[See: 10 Things Your Mom Didn't Teach You About Job Searching .]

Be methodical and persistent. Reach out to about five people a week or more if you can. This evenly balances out your workload and ensures you don't have too many networking meetings scheduled in a week. Be prepared to follow up after a week if you don't hear back. The lack of response usually means the person you're trying to reach is busy, don't make other assumptions.

Don't accept rejection. More people will accept your request for a meeting than decline. And when someone does say "no" what that probably means is "not right now." Respond by asking if meeting in a month would work better with their workload. Listen or read the response carefully to ensure you aren't jumping to conclusions or assuming they don't ever want to meet with you. Yes, there will be a few people who will flat-out reject your request. But don't take it personally. Keep your momentum going and focus your attention on those who are receptive to the idea of meeting with you.

Tap into the hidden job market. Many jobs are never posted publicly on job boards. Think about a company that shares a job so only internal candidates can apply. Or maybe a company that doesn't have a budget to pay for a posting on a job board. The only way you can uncover these hidden jobs is to meet people who work in companies who are secretly sharing jobs. You can do this through networking. Start by making a list of companies you would like to work for. You can now begin looking for people you know who work for these companies. Ask questions about why they like working there, how they got hired, if there are any new projects or plans for expansion in the future and if there is anyone else they would recommend you speak with. Keep meeting people inside the company who can serve as an informant. The more people you meet, the better.

[See: 10 Ways Social Media Can Help You Land a Job .]

Have a job created for you. It can happen. Especially when you meet with the person who has hiring power. One job seeker was referred to meet with a COO of a small but growing company. During the conversation, the COO mentioned that the company needed to hire someone with a background in information technology, the same experience the job seeker had. By the end of the conversation, the COO said he would write up a job description based on the job seeker's experience and they could discuss it together.

Get referred. Companies are investing in referral programs as the market for talent gets tighter. Research from many sources proves that referred candidates result in a higher-quality hire. Take advantage of these opportunities by asking employees if their company has a referral program. Not only could it land your application at the top of the pile, it could also put money in the employee's pocket.

15 Awesome Jobs That Pay More Than $90K

15 Awesome Jobs That Pay More Than $90K

Raymond Mitchell, Author

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