- Party hearty, with networking in mind. "Go to every party you can so you can get out of the house," Tahmincioglu says. She quotes the director of the office of career services at Eastern Connecticut State University who advises accepting as many party invitations as possible to reconnect with people you know and connect with people you don't. It is not a time be picky. In this economy holiday events put on by professional, community, or political groups -- or individuals -- can put you in contact with people you may not otherwise meet. Use the opportunity to let these people know who you are.
- Give and ye shall receive. It's the season of giving, Tahmincioglu says -- a reminder that networking is a two-way street, that helping other job hunters builds reciprocity and develops trusting relationships with others in your network. Dick van Vlootten spells out in detail how this works in a 2004 article in Science's Next Wave, the predecessor to Science Careers.
