When Marty Emory, project director for Resource Consultants Inc., an outplacement firm in Vienna, Va., recently attended a colleague's farewell luncheon, bidding the guest of honor adieu was just one of her accomplishments. At the event, she ran into an old acquaintance. They enjoyed a bit of small talk, in which she discovered that he was now corporate training director for a large organization. Sensing a possible opportunity for another friend of hers, she asked if he was planning to expand his staff. At the moment, the answer was no.

But as is often the case in today's changing job market, the next day was a different story. It turned out that the training director was promoted and needed to backfill his own position immediately. Remembering his conversation with Ms. Emory, he called and asked that she send her friend's resume right away.

The end result of this informal networking through the grapevine? The friend was hired within a week, thanks to her savvy networking and some good luck and timing.

Unfortunately, ambitious employees who seek career changes or promotions often neglect to take advantage of such everyday possibilities. Excellent "hidden" opportunities occur all the time within organizations -- including your own -- but few candidates understand how to uncover them. The best way to find out about attractive openings at your own or a nearby employer is by using the grapevine.

"The grapevine is the unofficial communication system within an organization," says Dr. Constance J. Pritchard, president of The Pritchard Group, a North Augusta, S.C., human-resources and organizational-development consulting firm. Known in many circles as the "old-boy network" (or in one rebellious instance as the "women's knitting and terrorist society"), the grapevine serves as a unique conduit for insider information among a select group of people with common interests.

To effectively use the grapevine in your search for greener corporate pastures, you must be a part of it. Of course, being privy to company knowledge is helpful even if you aren't making a move. "If you're not tapped into the informal communication structure within your organization, you might end up getting blindsided," warns Dr. Pritchard.

To open your eyes to career-change or promotional opportunities in your current environment, use your existing grapevine by doing the following:

Generate interest in your qualifications.

Review and revise your resume as necessary.

Arrange for informal meetings with colleagues.

Plan your job-search efforts as carefully as you would if you were unemployed.

Establish your role within the grapevine.

Visualize yourself in a different job at your employer.

Improve your communication skills.

Note and analyze the information flow throughout your company.

Evaluate and revise your plan as necessary.

1. Generate interest.

If you want to move up or elsewhere, you need colleagues, higher-ups and others in your network to become excited about your abilities. To do so, you must be able to clearly define your professional strengths, achievements and potential. This doesn't mean wearing a "Will work for a promotion or new job" sandwich board around the office. It requires subtly letting others know that you're willing and capable of doing other things.

2. Review and revise your resume.

When contemplating a career move, you must be ready to apply for new jobs. Keep in mind that even if you seek a position internally, you may need to submit a resume. Once you've updated and improved your resume, you can use it as a marketing tool within your company. For example, if you aspire to work in a new department, ask the manager there to look over your latest version. As you solicit feedback on your resume, you can discreetly reveal your interest in transferring to that department.

3. Arrange informal meetings.

After you've identified your strengths and achievements and accurately described them on your resume, think about who could help you achieve your job goals. Then schedule regular but casual get-togethers with these colleagues. "Get a small group together or a couple of select individuals and meet for lunch on a monthly basis," suggests Dr. Pritchard. Other helpful techniques include:

Make a point of sitting near different people at each meeting or company function you attend.

Solicit opinions on projects you're working on from co-workers who could be helpful to you in the long run. Offer to assist colleagues with different projects, work-related or not, as your schedule permits. And, of course, don't forget to attend those farewell luncheons!

4. Plan.

Many believe that it's easier to find a new job if you're already employed. That may be true, but you still need to plan your job search as carefully as if you were unemployed. In fact, you should be even more cognizant of your actions now. After all, when you seek a new position with your employer, every workday is like a job interview.

5. Establish your position in the grapevine.

Are you a part of your company's informal structure? If not, you need to establish a role within it. Of course, to be part of the grapevine, you must have developed solid relationships around the office. Realize that Rome wasn't built in a day and you probably won't become a member of this select group overnight. And when you eventually use your grapevine to find a new job, don't expect to see overnight results then, either. This isn't a quick-fix job-search strategy. Rather, it's a calculated, long-term tactic that serves two purposes:

• It strengthens ties with your existing network of contacts.
• It facilitates your employment goals (sometimes when you least expect it).

6. Visualize yourself in a different job.

Do more than just think positively. Picture yourself in the position you want. What would likely be your biggest challenges in this new role? How would you handle them? By thinking as if you were already in the job you want, you're more apt to convince others that you're right for it.

7. Improve your communication skills.

Good communicators listen carefully and speak effectively. "Listen as much as possible," advises Dr. Pritchard. The more you pay attention to what others in your grapevine say and the more you think before you talk, the less likely you are to say something inappropriate when discussing sensitive issues.

8. Note and analyze the information flow through your grapevine.

Once you've established a solid role in the grapevine, take note of how the members interact with one another. Who's usually the first person to get wind of interdepartmental scoops? How and when does that person get the information? How is news disseminated throughout the grapevine? Information is power. Whoever gets key data first generally has more influence than employees who receive it later.

9. Evaluate and revise your plan when necessary.

Periodically evaluate your participation in the office grapevine. Are you really privy to insider information? Are you effectively using that information to further your career goals? If not, revise your job-search plan so that you can achieve your objectives.

Of course, you shouldn't rely solely on the internal grapevine to get a new job in your company. "Use the office grapevine in conjunction with the traditional forms of job search," says Dr. Pritchard.

The time-honored tradition of taking advantage of your boss's network also may work. For example, during his annual performance appraisal, a mid-level executive told his manager he was interested in being promoted to a position with increased responsibility. The boss told the executive about an opening that wasn't advertised yet, but which he'd learned of via contacts he'd nurtured through his own grapevine.

By using the grapevine along with more traditional search techniques, you too can go job hunting in your own backyard.

Ms. Farley is a freelance writer in Evans, Ga., and a job-assistance specialist with Right Associates, a Philadelphia-based outplacement firm.