About 120 well-dressed men and women look up in unison as Diane Darling holds a small zippered bag above her head. "This is your networking survival kit," she explains. She urges them to bring one to any business get-together where they might make contacts.

Stuffed inside Ms. Darling's survival kit are: a Sharpie marker pen (so her name badge will stand out), a gold case with her business cards, an empty case to hold others' cards, stamped thank-you notes, a ballpoint pen -- and breath mints.

The 42-year-old president and founder of Boston start-up Effective Networking offered her kit idea during a networking workshop last month hosted by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Business is brisk. Ms. Darling, a former marketing executive, has taught 2,000 people since her first networking seminar a year ago. Her company, incorporated in August, expects to break even by spring.

Everyone knows personal contacts are the best way to find a job. But with unemployment at a five-year high, almost everyone needs to bolster his or her networking know-how. Many panicked job-seekers confess to Ms. Darling that they just haven't spent much time networking these past two years.

Even those unemployed individuals who maintain links with former co-workers are finding their calls ignored. "I just want to get on their radar screen," laments Craig Silverman, a 40-year-old creative director laid off in May by a San Francisco advertising agency. He has left numerous phone messages -- all unanswered -- with ex-associates in New York.

Help is on the way, thanks to the small but growing phalanx of full-time networking trainers. Ms. Darling is one of the newcomers, though she learned to feel comfortable among strangers at an early age by attending nine schools in three countries. Veterans in the field include advisers Donna Fisher of Houston, whose latest book is "Professional Networking for Dummies," and Susan RoAne of Greenbrae, Calif., a fellow author known as "the Mingling Maven." Among these specialists' suggested tactics:

• Over-prepare for a networking event such as a professional association meeting.

Before you arrive, scrutinize the guest list to pinpoint people you want to meet. Memorize your 10-second "elevator pitch," which should describe your distinctive problem-solving expertise.

In most cases, leave your resumes and hunger at home. Doing so "solved the issues of mechanics," says Victor Aramati, a 56-year-old product-quality director laid off by Compaq Computer in September. He used to awkwardly juggle resumes, thick notebook, pen and food during networking events. "I went and hid in the corner because I couldn't figure out which hand to shake with," he jokes.

Now he knows better. At an Effective Networking seminar in October, Mr. Aramati learned to hold his drink in his left hand so he wouldn't give a clammy handshake. Thanks to such tips, he says he is "less scared" about networking.

• Spend no more than eight minutes with each new contact at the event, focusing on what help you have to offer.

Ask contacts about their thorniest work problems and outline your relevant skills or propose referrals. "As much as possible, put yourself in their lives," Ms. Darling says.

The trainer says you should be very specific when seeking help in a job search. She can imagine someone's needs when he or she says, "I'm looking for contacts at software companies that want quality-assurance experts to test products that will hit the market in three months." A well-honed request helps contacts remember you, says Ms. Fisher, who has taught networking for 12 years.

• Stay in touch with contacts.

When Ms. Darling leaves a valuable encounter, she scribbles a thank-you note and encloses another business card (the contact should already have one), then mails it immediately.

A follow-up e-mail will get noticed faster if its subject line contains an attention-grabbing reference to requested information, a mutual acquaintance or a lunch offer. "Make me open my e-mail," Ms. Darling advised the Boston workshop.

Persuade your contact to attend any introductory session. The trick: Suggest how the meeting might benefit the contact, too.

In addition, "savvy networkers always let the person who gave them the lead, information or contact know where they are in the process," says Ms. RoAne, a networking instructor for 21 years. "No one wants to give someone a contact and find out incidentally that the person got the job or promotion."

• Make connections for your contacts and you're more likely to be repaid in kind.

Early last month, Ms. Fisher briefly coached a Houston human-resources manager laid off by J.P. Morgan Chase. Two days later, he e-mailed her names of two employed colleagues who might hire her to teach subordinates. She forwarded his attached resume to an employment-agency owner she knows. "That," she says, "was a great example of the ripple effect."