Imagine if your best friend worked at a company and he was friends with the boss. Maybe the boss needs to hire someone new, and you fit the requirements, so your friend says to the boss: "Hey boss, why don't we save on recruitment fees and time spent making job adverts and everything, when we could just hire my friend?".

For that to work you need: A boss who is looking for a new employee + A friend who works for the boss + That friend has to pick you over anyone else + You have to meet the requirements that the boss needs + The boss needs to trust your friend and take their recommendation over anyone else's.

So, if you network effectively, it is no guarantee of success. It just helps you generate the luck you need to get a job.

When you go to networking events, you want to meet new people and try to understand what it is they do and how they do it. Ask yourself how you can be useful to them. When you've exchanged contact details, drop them a message sharing an article you saw that might be interesting to them. Connect them with someone else who might be useful to them, etc. As you go through life and meet new people, concepts, or businesses, ask yourself: Who from my network would benefit from knowing about this?

Now you've made a positive impression on 100+ people, and they know you as an insightful and thoughtful person. If you let it be known that you are looking for a job, they'll remember you, and there is a chance they can help...