Web 2.What?

I was very pleased and honoured to be asked to speak to the BIT program‘s class by Thom Kearney on the topic of Professional Networking.

However, I was even more pleased by the way the opportunity came about. Thom had published a blog post looking for speakers on a variety of topics. Joe Boughner (someone I know through Twitter and various Comm/Social media events) commented and suggested I would be good to speak about networking…

The perfect proof of concept!

But I digress… The fact is, if you met me five or more years ago, you’d probably never imagine *me* talking to people about professional networking. It’s not that I am (or was) really shy, but mostly utterly intimidated at the thought of walking up to someone I’d never met before and striking a conversation.

However, as a student of public relations at Algonquin College I learned that networking wasn’t only important to success… It was crucial.

So I figured out how to make it work for me. And hoping I can inspire you to find out how to make it work for you-because I also believe networking is crucial in any career.

First, here’s the PowerPoint I presented (Don’t expect ninja-like PowerPoint effects and design, I went the ‘simple so you can focus on my message’ route. Truth is, I was intimidated to try to make something look nice enough for 4th year design students)

My networking ‘secret sauce’ is pretty simple: I took something I loved (communicating online) and used it to my advantage. First (in the pre-Twitter days) I subscribed to local blogs I was interested and started commenting and interacting as much as I could. Then with Twitter I went around and followed everyone I could find in Ottawa who was interested in the same things I was.

A little while later, I attended the first Social Media Breakfast Ottawa. I went alone and was really nervous. When I walked in, I scanned the room and didn’t notice anyone I really knew… However almost instantly a few people came up and introduced themselves as Twitter followers and suddenly I was relaxed… At ease… Actually, ecstatic!

I’m not saying you have to join Twitter to be successful at networking, though I will say it definitely helps. But find you’re own secret sauce, and work it to your advantage.

One example Thom brought up in the class is finding interesting groups that aren’t related to your career but something you are really interested in or passionate about and start there. I agree this is a fantastic way to get comfortable networking, and no doubt you’ll still meet valuable professional contacts this way.

And finally, a few resources to get you started:

• LinkedIn – If you aren’t already a member, JOIN! LinkedIn is like my central contact database for networking. When I collect cards at an event, I add them as contacts on LinkedIn with a personalized message and I’ve built stronger relationships because of it.
• Betidings.com – an Ottawa-based startup that uses a social approach to event listings. Browse others’ calendars to find out about great events happening in Ottawa, or create your own!
• Meetup.com – a place to organize local meetups on every topic under the sun. Literally.
• Twellow – The Twitter yellow pages, a great way to find people in your city with similar interests to follow on Twitter.

And finally, the biggest thank you ever to Claudine Wilson, aka PRHunter, who not only taught me about networking back in the PR program, but pointed me to her fabulous text book to help ‘refresh’ what I’ve learned for this presentation. And while I’m praising, she also gets credit for teaching me fantastic PR skills overall, instilling a solid work ethic on me, being a great friend and about a million other things. Thanks again!