Professional Networking and Business Networking
Create Networking Groups with These Tips
Feb 22, 2009
Connection networks are found through colleagues inside and outside the organization that can bring growth and legitimacy to your career and mobility.
Professional Meetings as Networking Groups
Most professionals are part of a network of other professionals, and these networks are no longer limited to lawyers, doctors and salespeople.
Most people working for an organization can belong to several professional associations where like professionals can meet together to discuss the woes and the wins of the job.
And this is not just empty advice. For years, scholars (Powell and Dimaggio, 1991; Abbott, 1988; Goode, 1969) have emphasized how these professional networks increase an individual's legitimacy and influence in the workplace and society.
Your professional networks are your lifeline. One of the best ways to maintain this network is to show up at a meeting, even in today's cyber heavy world. Get some business cards and go to some meetings if you can.
LinkedIn as a Professional Networking Club
If you have to cut the travel budget this year, then consider joining the free version of LinkedIn. Like a professional meeting, you can link up with other professionals in your field and share the joys and hates of the job.
The advantages of a social networking site over face-to-face professional meetings is that you can dig a little deeper into your network pool and save the travel dollars.
Anyone who has experienced social networking can see the potential for your business network to grow, too. You can link up with old college friends, high school friends and even discover old contacts from previous jobs.
It is a place to rebuild some bridges and maintain a professional face for another job hop in the future.
Some of the business networks on LinkedIn can range over 500 members per person. If you can link up with several friends with larger networks, your network grows for your own profession and for some potential professions for any number of needs now or later.
Even if your budget is recession proof, a free network like this is a must have.
Volunteering as Business Networking
Volunteering is also free, but rich on connectivity potential. It only takes a little shift in the soul.
Get out and volunteer in the community. Join a community advisory board for an industry in your town such as the railroad. Volunteer at the zoo or other community organizations involved in non-profit community services.
Attend local town meetings, and don't forget your business cards. Business cards are a necessary expense with underrated downstream benefits.
Also, volunteer work can give your resume a boost. Serving on committees and boards in the community is just like serving on a committee or board in your own organization. It is free experience that you can't really ignore.
These are only three ways to enhance your networking potential. Some are free, one is not. With a little effort and time on your part, you can build a network that offers some protection in case of job loss, enhance your professional development and even develop some energizing friendships.
References
Abbot, A. (1988). The system of professions. Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
Goode, WJ. (1969). The theoretical limits of professionalization. In A. Etzioni (Ed.). The Semi-Professions and Their Organization (pp. 266-313. New York, NY: The Free Press.
Powell W., and Dimaggio, P. (1991). The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis. Chicago. University of Chicago Press.
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