“It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”

We’ve all heard this before, but how do we turn this slightly obscure piece of hearsay into tangible career-related results? Network.

LinkedIn suggests you start with your “real world network,” or those people “you know and trust” as a foundation for your network online (more info). Think about this when you head home for Thanksgiving – try to seek out the contacts you already have and begin to build, or strengthen your connections. Whether chatting with a family member over turkey and stuffing, or having coffee with a mentor or family friend you had in high school, these contacts may become a key part in your career search now and in the future. It’s important as we consider life after college to start thinking of these people in our lives as professionals – if we do, the feeling may become mutual!

Feeling lost? See this video for how to go about networking in person first, and then online: http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-4/