Mediaboss Marketing

(NBC) If youre working from home these days, you may be missing the camaraderie and the connections that come with the office environment. But, working remotely doesnt mean you have to miss out on networking.

When the coronavirus pandemic forced employees across the nation to work from home, millions were left without an essential component of professional life: networking.

Theres this new era of work from home and professionals are more disconnected than ever before. And they are seeking ways to converse with others and and professionals, said Loren Appin, Co-Founder and COO of Fishbowl.

Forced to get creative, theyre turning to virtual networking platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Fishbowl, a social networking app that connects professionals. The app is used to chat, ask questions and network for jobs. Loren Appin is Co-Founder.

Zoom is the new meeting room, and fishbowl is the new office hallway, said Appin.

I posted on fishbowl, and I went specifically into the women in advertising bowl, said Kara Gonchar, Copywriter and Community Leader at Fishbowl.

Users interact directly with peers and company leadership in groups called bowls. Kara Gonchar, an early user, landed a job there.

I said would someone be willing to pass along my creative portfolio to the recruiter there? And some really kind stranger volunteered and later that week, I got an interview and then later on, the job, which is incredible, said Gonchar.

With an estimated 85% of jobs filled by some form of networking, experts say its a critical tool.

I tell everybody networking, whether in person, or virtually it is a necessity, said Dominick Miserandino, CEO of The Inquistr.

Real people come to fishbowl to connect with others in their industry or company to have real conversations and its a professional community that you can connect with and converse, said Fishbowl Co-Founder Loren Appin.

Making connections at a much needed time.

The rest is here:
Networking in the COVID-19 pandemic - KGET 17