Posts Tagged: Networking and Personal Branding
The Secret to Successful Networking in the 21st Century
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals LinkedIn Networking Advice Networking and Personal Branding Personal Branding Social Media on June 7, 2010 at 10:15 am
Last week I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the largest organization for university career services professionals and entry-level recruiters. As someone who frequently talks about the powers of social media for connecting, this conference was a reminder that LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are only half the networking story.
At the NACE conference, I had the pleasure of meeting people in person whom I had previously only communicated with online or by phone. While I had good relationships with many of the people I knew virtually, something changes when you connect in person, waiting in an interminable Starbucks line together or sitting side-by-side on a bus to an offsite conference event. More trust is shared, relationships become a little deeper and stronger bonds are forged.
The secret to successful networking in the 21st Century is what my friend Diane Danielson, with whom I co-wrote The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking, calls a “clicks and mix” approach: equal parts online and in-person networking.
This is not necessarily easy, as online networking and in-person networking require some different skill sets. Tech-averse people love chatting face-to-face, but find it awkward to communicate online. Tech savvy people and shy people often wish they never had to emerge from behind their computer screens to shake hands and make eye contact with real live humans.
If you face any of these discomforts, you must work to overcome them, because the most successful networkers are competent in both realms:
They belong to professional association groups online and attend the networking events of those organizations as well. This exposes them to all members of an organization and all benefits of membership.
They send emails or LinkedIn connection requests to stay in touch with people they meet at conferences (hint: I do this on the plane ride home following an event).
They determine how to communicate with a networking contact based on the other person’s “clicks and mix” preferences. Upon meeting someone, they will ask, “I’d really like to keep in touch with you. What is the best way to reach out — do you generally prefer email, phone or another method?”
And, most importantly, they behave the same way — professionally, politely and generously — in person and online. It’s terribly disappointing to find out that someone you liked in person is rude or inappropriate online. And — as I learned at the NACE conference — nothing is better than discovering that a person you liked over email or twitter is just as fabulous when chatting over a frothy Frappuccino.
Recommended Event in NYC: Personal Branding & Networking Panel
Posted in Networking and Personal Branding on April 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Due to all of the great feedback from my Personal Branding and Your Job Search post earlier this week, I wanted to share information about an upcoming personal branding event in New York City. I will be attending and hope you’ll join me:
Event: Personal Branding & Networking Panel, organized by Step Up Women’s Network
Time & Date: Tuesday, April 14th. Networking reception begins at 6pm. Panel runs from 7 – 9pm.
Location: NYU Stern School of Business, Henry Kaufman Management Center, 44 West 4th St (corner of Greene)
Event Description: Now more than ever, personal branding and networking is critical to an individual’s career success. Join us for a dynamic panel discussion with female industry leaders who will share their insights on how actively build a powerful personal brand and network.
Speakers:
- Beth Schoenfeldt, Co-Founder of Collective-E (moderator)
- Christine Beauchamp, President of Ann Taylor Stores
- Carla Harris, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley
- Hope Hughes, Director of Deloitte Consulting
- Juliette Powell, author of 33 Million People in the Room
Topics to be discussed include:
• How to build and manage your personal brand
• How to follow up with people after a networking event, and ways to turn acquaintances into meaningful professional contacts.
• How to network and build mentoring relationships with senior level women
• Using technology to network — the do’s and the don’ts
Registration: Tickets are $35 for non-members and and must be purchased online by Monday, April 13th. Click here to register!
My interview on the Personal Branding Blog
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Job Search Tips LinkedIn Networking Advice Networking and Personal Branding Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources Resume Tips Social Media on February 25, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Many thanks to Dan Schawbel for interviewing me on his Personal Branding Blog.
Here is an excerpt:
Dan: When you go to speak to students across the country, how have you accessed their proficiency in job searching and resume building through online means? Most students I talk to don’t know what LinkedIn is. What are your experiences?
Lindsey: A year or so ago, very few students I met had even heard of LinkedIn. Today, I’d say about 1/4 of students at my workshops are aware of the site, but most don’t really know how to make the most of it. I believe that an active presence on LinkedIn is no longer optional for a career-minded person of any age, so I talk about it in every speech and workshop I give.
1. First, I advise students (and everyone else!) to set up a complete profile including keywords a recruiter or business owner might use to find someone with your skills and interests.
2. Then I recommend joining groups on LinkedIn (such as the Personal Branding group, of course) to build connections and become part of conversations about industry news.
3. Third, I recommend customizing those little “I’d like to add you as a connection” messages – that’s a great way to stand out and show that you are someone who takes the time to personalize your communications.
Another important tip, particularly for those who are just starting out in the workforce, is to scour other people’s LinkedIn profiles to look for companies you may want to apply to, job titles or professions you didn’t know about, professional organizations where you might network and people with similar interests who might be willing to offer some job search advice. If you’re trying to build your own personal brand, LinkedIn is incredibly valuable as a massive database of other people’s personal brands and career paths to research.
Tips for staying afloat in a grim job market
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Job Search Tips Networking and Personal Branding Personal Branding Recommended Career Resources on February 10, 2009 at 8:17 am
If you walked around midtown Manhattan during the summer, you might have seen the financial executive, in his late 40s, who paraded around in a sandwich board declaring “Experienced MIT Grad for Hire” and handing out copies of his resume.
A few months later, you might have come across a group of job-hunting, 20-something recent graduates promoting their skills though sidebar advertisements on Facebook and links to their online resumes.
What intrigues me about these methods is not just the guts these job seekers displayed. It’s the different generational approaches to self-promotion. The baby boomer gravitated to in-person, face-to-face networking; the Millennial went right to the Web.
If you are looking for a job in the current recession, my best advice is to borrow from the playbook of both of these self-promoters: combine “old-fashioned” methods with new technologies. Diane K. Danielson, my colleague and co-author on the book The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking, calls this a “clicks and mix” strategy, and it’s an important marketing strategy if you’re looking for a new position.
Here’s why: Young adults are competing in the job market with much more qualified people who have been laid off and need to find any job they can. At the same time, older professionals are competing with younger workers who are willing to be hired for less money and security. And, in this economy, every job seeker has to try every job-hunting method available.
Here are some self-marketing tips for job seekers of all generations: click here to read the rest of this article on ABC News on Campus…
How to get a job: 11 new tips
Posted in Career Advice for Young Professionals Generation Y/Millennials Getting from College to Career Job Search Tips LinkedIn Networking Advice Networking and Personal Branding Personal Branding Social Media on November 30, 2008 at 3:53 pm
When people ask me how to get a job in a bad economy, my answer isn’t particularly earth shattering: Do everything you did in a good economy — have a terrific resume, cast a wide net in your search, network effectively — just do it all smarter, faster, better and more often
In addition to working harder on the basics, today’s job seekers should also try a few new and different techniques to stand out. To help, I’ve compiled a list of not-the-usual job hunting suggestions. You may like some of these and hate some of these, and that’s the point. My goal here is to provide out-of-the-box actions and tactics that most job seekers may not have tried. Here goes… (more…)
