Networking is such a vital skill in today’s world, and so easy too with the popularity of sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. But, I must confess, networking is one of my weaknesses. I deleted MySpace years ago, deactivated Facebook in January, and never joined the Twitter bandwagon. In the eyes of many of my contemporaries, I’m hopelessly disconnected. I joined LinkedIn today to try to get back in the game. What I like about LinkedIn is that it’s geared towards your professional image, not your personal one. Images and posts on Facebook can keep you from getting the job; LinkedIn is all about avoiding sticky situations like that.
Don’t get me wrong when I say I’m not too good at networking. I’m not a mean person who can’t develop relationships– I’m still on good terms with most of my former managers and fellow employees–it’s just that I prefer a small group of friends to a large one, so learning to cultivate a large garden of acquaintances is a little uncomfortable for me. And, while I’m not lacking in confidence in my abilities, I dread sounding like a salesperson. I’m sure it’ll get easier as I grow older and gain more experience, but that doesn’t mean it’s not intimidating at the moment. I’ve read pages upon pages of what to do and what not to do, but as I often tell the employees I train, you’re not going to learn how to swim by reading about it.
