Networking Still the Best Way to Find Work.

While online job searches are changing the way people look for work, there is still no real substitute for face-to-face networking. A recent nationwide survey by the outplacement firm OI Partners of Parsippany, N.J., clearly indicates that networking is a much more effective practice than conducting

The study researchers surveyed 500 job candidates who participated in outplacement programs during 1998. The results revealed that 61 percent of the respondents found new jobs by networking. And 80 percent of the respondents found their job locally and did not have to relocate.

"With the expanding global economy and continuing mergers and acquisitions, there's been a belief that candidates will have to move to new cities or even abroad," says Ron Scott, president of OI Partners. "However, this survey clearly shows that outplacement candidates are finding satisfying new jobs locally."

More information on this study is available online from the OI Partners web site at www.oiworldwide.com.