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As HR professionals, employees and those who are unemployed know, today there is a heightened intensity that accompanies job searches because of the seismic shift in the employment landscape. Each day a tremendous number of people vie for an ever-more limited number of promotional opportunities and job openings. Consequently, anyone who is looking for an employment opportunity should use all available resources aggressively and exhaustively because the great lead that results in a great job can come from anywhere.

One way to maximize the likelihood of favorable employment results will be achieved is to embrace both Old School networking and New School networking. Both methods should be used simultaneously and vigorously to achieve employment success.

To use an Old School phrase, “leave no stone unturned.” The New School approach to almost everything in this high-tech world is to rely on social networking for everything from looking for a job to communicating thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams.

Millennials¹ , who may feel that they should have a job simply because they graduated from college; Baby Boomers, who may think the number of years they have worked on a job should create job security; and anyone in between often focus primarily on internet-based job boards for employment opportunities. They are surprised when they are not contacted for an interview especially when they have followed up and followed up.

Apparently, Millennials, Boomers and the others did not get the text message or email that informed them that in this New School high-tech, electronic world, there is simply no substitute for Old School “live” person-to-person contact. This method of networking can almost magically get a person in the door for at least an exploratory interview.

The reason is simple. Given the number of talented, educated, skilled people who are looking for work, hiring decisions will be made based in part on intangibles.

First impressions based on personal appearance and ability to communicate, as well as who knows who, who referred whom, who is related to whom, who owes whom a favor, or who wants to ingratiate himself with the person who made the referral may tip the scale.

The objective is to include all possible strategies and advantages in your job search arsenal. You may be pleasantly surprised by the number of people you know and how extensive your networks are when you tap into them.

[1] Mature/World War II generation (born before 1945); Baby Boom generation (born between 1945 and 1964); Generation X (born between 1965 and 1979) and Generation Y/Millennials (born after 1980)