For job seekers in particular, chatting up a roomful of strangers can be intimidating: Whom should I speak to first? How do I strike up a conversation? Though workplace experts stress the importance of networking while job hunting, many times it's the tool used least by candidates.

At one time, I was put off by the concept of networking (and sometimes still am). To me, networking conjured up images of stuffy business people milling around Conference Room A at the local hotel, watered-down cocktail in one hand and a stale hors d'oeuvre in the other.

But then I realized my own power in the situation: I can decide how and where to network. My kind of networking is low-pressure and low-key, just people talking with other people. So I chose a professional/industry organization whose goal and vibe resembled my own (in this case, the women's entrepreneurial group Ladies Who Launch) and started attending its events. And something terrific happened, I got to know the other attendees as people as well as businesswomen.

A Certified Professional Resume Writer, Michele Dagle helps people market themselves to land better jobs and clients. Michele develops resumes and bios for a wide range of job seekers and leads resume-writing workshops. Additionally, Michele writes and edits websites, magazines, and marketing materials.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities, and posted on Sandbox Advisors.