Social media seems to have taken the work out of networking, but making meaningful and valuable connections still takes effort. At an industry conference or job fair, it all starts with an introduction and a handshake but how do you make real connections online?
The software does a lot of the initial introductions for us as we pop up on Facebook sites and online streams. At some point, you need to step outside of the algorithm and make a real effort to connect. Here are some strategies for engaging the job contacts in your network:
- Share a new job search or networking tool.
- Distribute worthwhile industry news or findings. Do not become a news service. Make sure it is a need-to-know piece of information.
- Arrange a meeting — an informal get-together or job search support group — with those in your region. Invite others to drop in when they are in the area. Then, share valuable take-aways with the rest of the group.
- Coordinate a get-together with others in your network at the next industry conference you are attending.
The most valuable engagement tool may be old-fashioned communication. Connect with others in your network on the telephone or through messenger services. Remember that social media is a tool for building, expanding and maintaining a network. There is an old maxim in the business world that reminds us that personal contact still matters: One can reap three times the benefits from a face-to-face meeting than from a telephone meeting.
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I agree that the main tool for networking still remain old fashioned meetings and phone calls, while social media is just one of the methods to help keep the connections.
For me phone and in person meetings remain the most important networking tool.
I wouldn’t agree with what people said above. Social networks have a huge opportuniny of steeling call’s and meetings’ thunder. Just look how many home based positions there are today. And the number only keeps growing.
Yeah, social networking is a very important tool. DAILY more than 50,000,000 people (!) get online only to communicate through social media. However, I totally agree that real communication is much more valuable.
Social media tools can help with job hunting or gettinng some professional information. But they cannot alter real communication. Only in person communication can keep the relationships alive.
Even though we spend a lot of time (or let’s even say most of the time, for some people, in front of computer) we are still human beings and need real communication with real people. Otherwise life becomes sensless…
I’ve noticed a strange thing: people that are very succesful and active on social media web-sites are forgetting how to communicate with people in the real life. it seems like they learnt how to behave or what to say in front of machines but forgot how to get along with people.