1. LinkedIn
But one thing to keep in mind, is that these tools are limiting. You can build your LinkedIn contacts in quantity, but if you adhere solely to at-home-on-the-computer-in-your-pajamas-networking, you'll find difficulties when you need to draw upon your network. B/c such a network may be wide (many contacts), but not deep (weak contacts).
Don't get me wrong, I think these tools are great, and have benefitted professionally from them. But in my opinion, these should be used to facilitate face-to-face interactions, attendance at events, keeping in touch with, etc. etc. B/c otherwise, you're just another loose contact, barely remembered, not even in the back of someone's mind.
With that in mind, perhaps we should approach some of these tools sometimes as a picture of our network, and sometimes as tools for networking. The picture will show some contacts stronger than others, but still requiring pre-internet cultivation in the form of personal messages, grabbing coffee, happy hours, etc. And you still have to go that extra mile and help others to make yourself visible when your time of need comes. But if you let LinkedIn become your networking rather than represent it, you might have problems actually finding that next job...
You are absolutely right. Connections have to be nurtured once they are made. Build up a network of mutually owed favors and you can work wonders.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Drew. It makes me think of the joke these days that kids rush home after school to get on IM with each other, instead of hanging out in person. It's always easier to text or e-mail someone, rather than call, and make a connection on linkedIn, rather than in person. But as we all have learned (the hard way, no doubt), the easiest path is never the best path.
ReplyDeleteGood post Drew. It is important to use the tools, but even more important to be able to back up the tools with in person conversations and connections. It definitely can not be done all online, but I do think that the professional networks provide a good start. Maybe you could find people and then ask them out for coffee in order to network more in person and establish a real connection.
ReplyDeleteAlso, not sure if you are a member of any groups on linked-in, but sometimes they post information about upcoming real/in-person networking events.