Imagine a long day of classes followed by an even longer evening of serving food for tips. You are exhausted. How are you going to finish your physics homework without falling asleep? But your last table of the evening has an expensive tab, so you paste a smile to your face and strike up conversation with the suit-clad diners. At the end of the meal, there is a business card scrawled with the words: "Call me when you graduate." She liked your smile, work-through-college discipline, and presentable personality. You, my friend, have just done what is 60 percent more likely to get you a job than sending off a faceless resume - you've networked.

Although opportunities like this arise all the time, successful networking requires a proactive approach. Take the initiative to make the first contact and to follow-up afterward. You have to conquer your fear of approaching new people. Putting your ideas, attributes, and goals out there is the first step.

The proof of networking success is in the pudding - or the paycheck. CareerXroads, a staffing strategy company, points out that 27.1 percent of new hires are found by referral, more than any other method. Employers are bombarded with resumes everyday, so they rely on in-house referrals to highlight great prospects.

Whether you have exhausted all of your personal contacts or need to develop the network you've got, look into the booming world of cyber-networking. Networking-based job sites like www.jobster.com and www.linkedin.com specialize in online "social networking" to connect employers to qualified job-seekers. Rather than just posting a resume, members blog about their skills, exchange ideas, and seek out references. Keep in mind, the Internet should be an extension of your personal networking efforts, not a replacement.

There's no question that your network is your biggest asset, best resource, and most essential building block in getting where you want in life. And there's no reason you should wait until you get out of school - or begin a career - to start building your own network.