There are endless reasons to build a strong network of professional contacts. But perhaps none is more compelling in 2009 than the goal of establishing a career safety net.
In a recession jobs are last to get hit, yet are the slowest part of business spending to recover. This is the time to develop or revise an escape plan to insulate you from possible downturns or unforeseen changes at work.
“I don’t know if I would go so far as to call social networking a safety net,” says Kelly Krebs, Senior Account Executive at Horn Group, “but it can help if you if you are looking to move into a new career or if you are looking to expand your customer or partner base.”
Even though the economy is slumping that doesn’t mean you should stop expanding your web of contacts. While ultimately you will find & add contacts one at a time, the truth is you can better leverage your resources by joining social network-based communities.
Most social networks are the sum of many groups, specialized around regions, companies, alumni networks, plus personal and professional interests. How do you tap into these communities? It’s fairly easy on Facebook and LinkedIn (and now FastCompany.com too) – you can search by topic area; see network “newsfeeds” listing which groups your contacts have joined; often groups are listed in your contacts’ profiles too.
While identifying and joining a community is fairly easy, the reality is that one generally needs to invest a bit of time and energy building a community presence. In other words, before you tap a community (unless yours is a particularly touching story) the best strategy is to “pay it forward” – help others first.
We’re not talking about Karma – in the sense of what comes around goes around. Rather we’re talking about building your presence (also called your brand) in an online community. This requires an investment of time, usually two or three months, before your comments in discussion boards become familiar and respected by the group.
“For the network to be of value it needs to be cultivated through selfless acts of service and mutual benefit,” says Alan Farhi, Staffing Manager at Epiq Systems, whom I met on LinkedIn. “Trying to cultivate a network in order to find a career opportunity when you’re desperate or have lost your job is generally a little too late and a little too transparent.”
How will you know? Other members of the group will want to connect with you, even if you have never met offline and wouldn’t recognize them at the corner store.
“I often see new salespeople attend one or two networking events and say ‘networking doesn’t work’, says Cathy Jo Morris, Regional Sales Manager at AAA Washington. “Of course it doesn’t work after one or two handshakes – you need to give something to the group first before you can expect anything back. Networking is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Farhi agrees. “Social and Professional Networks work best when you don’t really need them,” he says. “A safety net seems like a last-resort measure.” In other words, don’t wait until you need your social network, start deepening it now.
Rusty,
Great article!
I believe the answer to the question posed in your headline is YES!
Smart business people are leveraging social networking to secure their futures, whether they are business owners, entrepreneurs, or employees.
Check out http://www.SocialMediaMoney for more information about how people are using sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Myspace to control their own destiny.
Good Post Rusty!
I belonged to a Hispanic Organization at my Alma Mater and I constantly post scholarship/internship information on their Facebook page. I am in contact with students that I worked with who are current members of that same Hispanic Organization. I have built a great relationship with one of my former students who has a campus radio show at my Alma Mater. He has asked me to call in and let people know about job searching and resume preparation. I have been able to rebuild relationships with these university students, provide them with information essential to their future careers, and market my brand as a resource for job searching/resume writing.
Hey Rusty. Social networks can also be a safety net for women during a maternity leave. I left the workforce for an entire year but was able to stay in touch with former colleagues and clients relatively easily. It helped me feel like I was still “in the game” and made going back to work less daunting. Using the old model it would have taken me more time/effort than I had, and I might not have been as diligent about it.
Here’s a great peer2peer professional networking and community site for sales & biz dev professionals worldwide – http://www.salescircles.org.
Great post Rusty! I’ll add something from my new book titled, “I’m at a Networking Event–Now What???” From Chapter 4: Offer Help to Others First
Think about being the first to ask others what brought them to the event or what it is they are working on or need help with these days. We all usually have something that we could use an assist on, don’t we? Ask them “So, Bob, do you need help with anything in your world right now?” Or perhaps while you are listening to Bob’s intro or elevator pitch, a person you know pops into your mind that you realize could be a good resource for him to connect with regarding the best associations to join for electrical engineers (your brother-in-law maybe). Well, offer to connect Bob to them and simply consider it an easy “pay it forward” in the karma bank. Because, when you’re least expecting it, you’ll soon likely be the recipient of some good karma of your own.
I believe that networking can be a fun and easy way to enrich your life, contribute to your community, broaden your horizons, and enhance your business or career. But, I also believe that it can be potentially devastating to your social capital and personal brand if you act rudely, insensitively, or don’t do what you say you are going to do. It is crucial to your success that you treat networking as an exchange of ideas, information and experiences. And, remember, in networking, reciprocity is key, so be generous in sharing your talents, knowledge, and ideas, and always be respectful of and demonstrate appreciation to those around you whether they appear to be able to help you out immediately or not. BTW, I lots more to share on this topic in my book!
Hey Rusty,
Thank you for awesome post.I agree with your article and your opinion about social networks are safety net for career or not.