Social networking online
While there are thousands of articles that cover the various ways to network on the different social networks available, the problem according to career coach and strategist Donald Burns, is a lack of focus. Many people fall into the trap of blindly networking with everyone when the key is to be more focused. many people start networking because theyve been ordered to do sobeaten over the head to keep networkingbut just connecting with people is not enough. You must be connecting with people to reach a target. In my humble opinion, thats the problem with networking, people arent clear about what theyre after. When a job seeker has a clear target, a red-hot passionate, well-defined position at a particular company then connecting with the right people is much easier, says Burns.
Start a blog or column
Many of us work in our various industries with the intention to become thought leaders. Writing a blog is great way to share your knowledge, insight and show off your troubleshooting prowess. Creating content is a powerful way to build your personal and professional brand online, says McGarrity. When most of us are interested in doing something new, one of the first things we do is search the Web to find someone who has been down this road before to get an idea of what to expect.
Have a content strategy. Create content, share data, multimedia, photos, and engage in conversation with original content creators. Relevancy and frequency is the name of the game. Have a goal, be transparent, be conversational, be you, and get engaged, says McGarrity.
There are various outlets you can use but most experts agree that having your own branded site, especially in the technology world, is the best way to go.
Offline networking
Social media is a great tool but its important to remember that is not all done from behind a desk. That is only one of the fronts in the battle to remain relevant. Ultimately, nothing is better than meeting someone face to face. Our experts encourage you to get out there and start building your professional network in person.
Networking online is great when you are looking for macro trends or just making high level connections. However, going offline and meeting face-to-face allows you go deeper with individuals. I look at online networking as casting a net and offline (F2F) networking as spear fishing. When you go wide, you get to see what others are talking about and what challenges they have, but when you are offline that is really when you get into the details, says Tushar Patel, Vice President of Marketing for Innotas, a company that specializes in IT Project and Portfolio Management Services.
Join professional organisations
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