Networking is really about connecting with people — and, like everything else, it helps to be sincere. Tech Hub/Flickr As a member of modern society, you're well aware that networking is one potential route to finding work.

But, did you know it might actually be the best way to get the job done? (The job of finding a new job, that is.)

Some estimate that upwards of 85% of open positions are filled through networking.

If you're looking for work, it might be better to put your time into building your professional network rather than pouring through all those listings online.

Could networking actually the best way to find a new job?

The most common way to find work

The benefits and the overall impact of networking have received a lot of study in recent years. The results of these reports vary to some extent, but all agree that it's definitely a popular way to get a job. Some experts say that 70% of people ended up in their current position thanks to networking. Others say it's more like 80% or even 85%.

Even when figures are broken down into different categories of job seekers and people are asked how they landed their current job, networking tops every list. In one survey, conducted by LinkedIn and the Adler Group, "active candidates" were separated out from "tiptoers" and "passive candidates," those who looked for work in more casual ways.

Regardless of the individual attitudes and approaches job seekers brought to the table, networking was the most popular way to get a job. For "tiptoers" it won out 3 to 1, and for even more casual job seekers, dubbed "passive candidates," networking dominated other job-search methods on a scale of 7 to 1.

There are a lot of hidden jobs out there

One of the major reasons that networking is such an effective way to get a job is that there is something of a hidden job market out there. Some estimate that as much as 80% of new jobs are never listed but are instead filled internally or via networking.

In fact, getting a referral for a job opening from someone who's already working with the company could give you pretty impressive odds. Only 7% of job applicants get this kind of referral, yet referrals make us 40% of new hires. Clearly, networking isn't just one potential route to finding a new job — it's actually the most effective path.

"At least 70%, if not 80%, of jobs are not published, " Matt Youngquist, president of Career Horizons told NPR. "And yet most people – they are spending 70% or 80% of their time surfing the net versus getting out there, talking to employers, taking some chances [and] realizing that the vast majoring of hiring is friends and acquaintances hiring other trusted friends and acquaintances."