Networking is what most of us start thinking about when we start looking for jobs. We start scrambling around and try to connect with new people or reconnect with old and forgotten friends. All this may stop after getting a decent job which will keep us “busy” for the rest of our lives.
In my opinion, “Networking” is not something you do, it is a by product of our social behavior. It is result of how we maintain our personal and social relations. If you are a 20 year old, it is very likely that you might have come across a couple hundred people so far in life, some at school, some at events you attend with your family and some while traveling around. It is not possible to remember and keep track of all these people and be connected after a while for two reasons. One, you may not have enough time to stay in touch, which I do not believe, but a legitimate reason. Two, you don’t see a benefit for being connected, purely a selfish reason. Even if you spend about five minutes per person every 3 months, it only amounts to 10 minutes a day. If you cannot spare 10 minutes, you must be working 2 full-time jobs and have a couple of kids. However, keeping in touch with the people might have gotten easier with the advent of social networking tools such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Myspace. It is different topic of discussion how to use these tools effectively.
Continual interaction with all the people you come across in life creates your social network which you can tap into to share your happiness, solicit advice or ask for help when needed. For example, alumni networks may be one of the most under utilized social networks today. David Hernandez founded Liberty Power, a $193 million dollar business, by building his management team largely through his alumni network.
Starting the process of “networking” when you are in need of a job or a favor, takes time and the relations that have “need” as a basis may not last long. Try and be be good to the people you come across you will never lose. This world will be a better place if we all stay connected.
Sundeep, I totally agree with you and hate the concept of talking to people when in “need”. Time is something which all of us have, but lack the management of it, and that leads to stagnation in life. One aspect of networking that I like is the diversity that it brings. I believe not only in alumni, but also trying to stay in touch with people I meet through friends, colleagues etc. So it not only just a professional relationships with a restricted field of vision, but friendships with broader horizons.
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about Networking (Social Networking) is Facebook or Orkut, rather than LinkedIn as you seem to be suggesting. My 1 cent……will add another to that later
Yelaa …. be curious (in 10 font) is AWESOME Name for the blog.
Nice blog on networking and quite an apt topic to start the blog.
I can’t speak for everyone but I personally don’t completely agree to the two reasons you stated.
I quote your words “One, you may not have enough time to stay in touch, which I do not believe, but a legitimate reason. Two, you don’t see a benefit for being connected, purely a selfish reason.”
My opinion:
Past interactions:
One can’t think of old friends/acquaintances/interactions all the time. Sometimes old interactions are so deep down your memory lane that they don’t surface easily. Some interactions that surfaces due to some kind of triggers are lost due to lack of contact information and sometimes (most of the time) we just put off the thought of calling.
But when you think of them and know how to reach them give a call or shoot an email and catch up with them from where you left last.
Present and new interactions:
People change, habits change and so does their priorities. One should have an understanding of this fact. People change as they grow and so does the people they interact with. Even though people we interact with decreases, we choose to be in contact with the people we have something in similarity.
One can’t expect to interact with as many people and for as much time as they used to when in their 20ties.
Not having enough time and being busy are the terminologies that mean “inability to manage time”.
So yes, I am “BUSY” sometimes (pun intended).
I like the whole the idea of networking as a social behavior but have second thoughts about linking it with a million dollar company though. I guess David Hernandez may not have thought of it as a continual ‘friendly’ interaction but rather a business strategy for his growing empire.
Ara ekkadiki vachi commnet raya ni time undi kani ..you dont have time reply my call and have the audacity to commnet abt networking eh…..\m/
I had another one of those moments after I read this article and said to myself ‘this sure is common sence,,, why do I never do that?’. Networking relationships sure work better when it is not necessarily ‘need based’… but again..who are we fooling here,,, the whole purpose I joined linkedin is to have contacts available when I am ready for a job search
… it sure was not for socializing!
I would like to clarify the fact that I was not recommending LinkedIn or any specific networking site for that matter. Whole point of the blog was to avoid targeted networking and make relation development as a part of daily behavior. I used Liberty Power as an example to show the benefits of having friends around rather than “networked” contacts.
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