job that they have the ability to provide, but it would be a weird thing for me to do for most of the people in my network, who are not in a hiring position. When I'm networking, therefore, I'm not going to be sending out a version of my cover letter, but rather something more along the lines of asking my friends and colleagues to keep an eye out for opportunities that might be of interest to me. Given that I do the same for them, none of us need to spell out "what I can do for you" because "what I can do for you" is implied by the nature of our relationship. Here's an example: I'm working on expanding my indexing and editing business, and so I've been trying to expand my network. With people I don't know very well, I do what you suggest, because my contact process is a bit like interviewing, and a bit like sending a cover letter. But with my existing network? That would be very strange to do, especially since most of them don't need my services... BUT! they might know someone else who does. People in that second group don't need a direct incentive to help me; they help me because they are my friends. As a self-employed environmental geologist, I have not had to look for a 'job' per se in many years. However, in a previous life I found out that "asking for advise re: how to find a