Today, I’ve found potential job opportunities through Twitter and made important networking connections through Facebook. Don’t neglect the social web in your job hunt. Networking has stronger roots when the connection begins in person, but the internet can be a great asset in expanding your reach.
Having four-hundred friends or followers on your social network of choice won’t help you. Knowing the friends you have, who they know, and what they can provide will help you.
I’ve been waiting for Liam & Me to release an album for the last two years. They had one EP, but it sold out ages ago and I can’t find it for sale anywhere. Still waiting for their new album to release. In the meantime, I crank the “There’s a Difference” MP3 I grabbed from their PureVolume (or somewhere) back in ’06. Occasionally, I’ll hop onto their Myspace and listen through the playlist.
If through the magic of the webs somebody finds this post and knows where I can legally acquire their music, please oh please let me know. (Liam & Me is based on Philadelphia, PA.)
I used to think networking consisted of constant pandering and ingratiating oneself to another. I’ve come to realize much networking can happen by relating with people who have common interests and goals, helping them out, and receiving favors in return. Networking doesn’t have to be shallow — people appreciate it when you ask genuine questions and provide real answers.
Through this communication and interaction, you can develop a bond and both parties benefit through the sharing of life, skills, and knowledge.
Recommendation: Freakonomics Blog (New York Times). If you enjoy reading about economics and sociology, the Freakonomics blog is a good place to find articles of interest. I find at least a few of the articles every week to be compelling and cause me to rethink my position socially, culturally, and economically.
Today’s article, Michael, Meet Curtis: Philanthropy Gets Personal, was one of these. In it, Sudhir Venkatesh, shares the story about his introduction of a multi-millionaire philanthropist to a squatter in Chicago.
Other recent articles of interest include “The Illogic of Farm Subsidies, and Other Agricultural Truths,” “How Cops Really Want to Police, and Oprah’s effect on the presidential vote.