While it appears more people than ever are interested in networking, most of us are terrible at it, metro Phoenix networking gurus say.

To get the most out of the experience, you must do more than pass out business cards at happy hours or shake hands at mixers. The key is to forge strategic relationships with people who like and trust you, experts say.

In this sputtering economy, good networking has become more important than ever. It’s often the only way to find out about jobs that aren’t publicly posted – more than one-half of the jobs available, according to one estimate. And it can lead to lucrative business contacts and career opportunities.

The need for quality networking has spawned a variety of groups and events designed to get people talking.

“People have to network outside of the walls of their own company now, always,” said Jessica Pierce, executive director of Career Connectors, a volunteer group that hosts networking events for job seekers.

Before, hard workers stayed at one company for years and merely schmoozed with the higher-ups. Now, the job market is more volatile, and people must maintain a strong network of contacts because anything can happen, regardless of whether you’re a good employee, Pierce said.

The economic downturn and slow job creation have increased interest in networking, suggest some statistics compiled by Networking Phoenix, a portal website that lists local networking events.

During the first six months of this year, the number of people who RSVP’d to networking events listed on the website increased to 6,759 people, up 28 percent compared with the same time a year earlier, according to company figures. During the first six months of this year there were 16,476 registered users and 117,454 visitors to the website, the company reported.

Those networkers paid a median of $25 for fee-based events and traveled a median of 10 miles in the first half of 2011.

Growing interest

Networking Phoenix’s registered users spent an estimated $1.46 million on gas and networking-event fees during the first half of 2011, up about 241 percent from $430,000 for the same time period in 2010, according to company figures.

While people are investing time and money, they aren’t necessarily comfortable.

“I don’t like selling myself,” said Constance Trent, 34, of Gilbert, who went to a Career Connectors networking event for the first time on Wednesday.

Trent began looking for work after she was discharged from the Air Force six months ago. She’s unsure how her experience using nuclear-weapons technology translates into the private sector. “I don’t know what questions to ask so that I don’t sound desperate,” the Gilbert resident said.

Job seekers such as Bob Sommers, 59, of Peoria, admit: “You fall into the habit of not networking.” Before he began looking for work three months ago, Sommers spent his career as a controller applying for jobs cold – without knowing anyone at the company.

During the economic slump, “I have come to grips with the fact that that is not the most productive way to look for a job,” Sommers added.

Awkward moments

Networking doesn’t come naturally to most people and it takes practice, said Gelie Akhenblit, founder of Networking Phoenix. Fortunately, the Phoenix area, which is bursting with transplants from other parts of the U.S., has always been a hotbed of networking, she added. The key is to get out to events and get more comfortable doing it, she said.

However, many job hunters feel – incorrectly – that they have little to offer to potential contacts, said Jamise Liddell, who works with job seekers at Phoenix Workforce Connection, a city-run program. Others are impatient and dislike networking because it may not lead to a job in an obvious way, she added. That’s misguided, Liddell said.

People at networking events may not know of a job opening, but they will know people who may lead you to your next job, Liddell said.

“A lot of companies don’t have the HR staffs to go through a lot of application,” she said, adding that she’s heard anecdotally that more than half the local jobs available aren’t posted. “What they would rather do is talk to the people they know.”

Smart strategies

Once you get to a networking event, be strategic, experts say.

Think carefully about what information you are looking for and how you plan to ask for it, said David Sherman, who speaks on networking and who organizes an event called Bee-Hive Networking.

Aggressively selling products or asking about job openings puts people off or triggers sympathy, which means that they aren’t listening to you anymore, Sherman said.

Instead of asking questions like, “Do you know someone who has a job opening?” or “Do you want to buy my product?” ask for contacts at specific businesses. Don’t ask for “any” job openings. Ask if your new acquaintance if they know people in certain industries, he added.

Don’t mindlessly collect business cards, added Pierce of Career Connectors. She advises people to concentrate on making meaningful connections with about five people at each event.

And go to events with the right attitude, added Liddell of the Phoenix workforce program. “Go without any expectations and enjoy yourself,” she said. “The secret to the whole process is your attitude.”

Charles Henry, 36, of Phoenix, admits that, like many people, he was aggressive about networking only when he was looking for a job.

Since he began looking for work two weeks ago, Henry began calling old colleagues and going to events. So far he’s applied for two jobs – that weren’t publicly posted – through his contacts. Networking gives you insight into positions that you may not see and career opportunities that you may not have thought about, he added.

Even after he finds a job, Henry said, “Now I see myself continuing it.”