Relying too much on Internet job boards and relying too little on networking can result in prolonged unemployment.

That’s because this is a job market in which employers are routinely bombarded with hundreds of inquiries for advertised positions, according to human resources professionals and recruiters.

“A person spending most of their time online looking for a job is going to have a long and painful search,” said Julie Bauke, president of Congruity Career Consulting. “In a tough economy, it is hard to stand out by throwing your résumé in that big, black hole, because the number of people doing that naturally increases.”

And with so many candidates for companies to choose from, Bauke estimates less than 10 percent of people obtain a job advertised online at popular sites such as Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or TheLadders.com.

Jobs boards are convenient and easy to navigate, but have become a crutch that too many job hunters lean on exclusively, said Derek Jackson, managing partner at Summit Solutions Group.

“The Internet has become the first place people look, and unfortunately some rely solely on what they find on job postings online or on corporate websites,” Jackson said.

Donna Trainor, human resources manager at Procter & Gamble Co., experiences firsthand the intense competition for positions advertised on the company’s website.

“The high volume of applicants and applications we get every year are primarily online, which sometimes make it hard for people to get jobs,” she said.

Internet searches on job boards are not necessarily fruitless, but job seekers should spend less time online and invest more in building a network, Jackson said. It is crucial to build a network comprised of colleagues and friends, create profiles on social-networking sites such as LinkedIn to connect with other professionals and be purposeful in attempts to reach out to those already in a position to be helpful.

“The best and most effective place to find a solid job lead is going to be your network,” Jackson said. “For most people in that professional rank, the majority of them will find their next opportunity through someone in their own network.”