This word seems ominous and foreboding for most students. All of the individuals that you talk to every week also have friends and family and colleagues that they know.
People are a very valuable source of information.
By deciding to forego this aspect of exploration and job searching, you are excluding the method that leads to the most jobs and career advice. The next obstacle people face is figuring out who to contact. You probably feel good because you helped someone else make an informed decision about their options. You may even have assisted them in getting that apartment because you knew some people who had to break their lease. Helping someone else and perhaps assisting them in pursuing a similar career makes most people feel good about themselves.