Networking with New Media

With 2,000+ people in my professional network on Linked In, new media is helping me gain access to people that I wouldn’t necessarily have been able to meet in a traditional networking environment. Each one of these connections is a potentially valuable resource in the world of professional networking. After all, it can only take that one person who knows someone to help you score that next job.

Yes, the landscape of professional networking is definitely changing, and new social and professional networking tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are helping to make this happen. In the age emerging media job seekers and employers are gaining tools to connect with each other, share resources and offer suggestions as to who may be hiring and where to look. Where traditional networking methods would have taken days to track down a name or resource, social networking sites are now accomplishing the same task in a matter of minutes. As an example, let’s take a look at LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site that allows users to create a profile that essentially becomes their online resume. By making a connection with friends, co-workers and classmates one can easily expand their network, and each of their connection’s connections are added to their total network, thus increasing its potential value. For example, let’s say that someone applies for a position at General Mills but do not personally know anyone who works there. They look through their connections and see that their friend Amy has a connection that works there, and in the same department that their next potential job would be in. Instantly they can request an introduction to this person through their mutual friend, Amy. Without this type of networking site the possibility that they would be able to connect directly with this person at General Mills, let alone ever find out about them, would be slim to none. Social networking is now making this all possible with a few clicks of the mouse. Guy Kawasaki has a great post on the Ten Ways to Use LinkedIn and offers advice on how to best utilize the site.

Emerging media is truly changing the way we communicate with each other in both our personal and professional lives. With its popularity increasing exponentially, professionals in a variety of fields now have a way to come together to collaborate, communicate and network with colleagues from all over the world. In the world of professional networking, emerging media is becoming the new Rolodex.