By Tasha Festel
Sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know that gets you in the door. Right or wrong, networking is key to a job search.
Technology has infiltrated our daily lives, and it also has our professional lives in its clutches. The world has gotten both bigger and smaller at the same time, thanks to technology. With the emergence of social networking and its evolution outside of the “social” realm, it only makes sense that networking has evolved beyond the handshake and the face-to-face meeting.
We can probably all agree that nothing can take the place of personal interaction. However, the importance of virtual networking cannot be discounted. Many a relationship has been created or rekindled thanks to Facebook and its counterparts. And LinkedIn has connected like-minded professionals all over the globe, before they’ve ever met.
Old-school professionals might scoff at the value of these online relationships. Unfortunately they’re missing the boat. Virtual networking is the new way to network. Just as cold calling in sales used to mean walking the pavement and knocking on doors, networking today means sending emails, not meeting for Manhattans at the speakeasy on the corner.
Online networking removes geographical boundaries. No longer is it necessary to wait to meet that contact in Australia at the next trade show. Conversations can now take place immediately, in real-time, regardless of location and time zone. Deep and meaningful relationships can be built without ever hearing another person’s voice. This is the power of online networking!
Sometimes job hunts are likened to dating, meeting a lot of people before setting on “the one.” By extension, online networking can be compared to joining an online dating service. Emailing, messaging, texting, and chatting take the place of phone calls and meeting for coffee. No need to invest the time of a personal meeting if there is no clear connection, whether it be dating or job hunting.
However, to continue the comparison, it’s a rare long-term relationship or marriage proposal that would happen without that human and personal connection. The same is true for the job seeker. To make the most of online networking, one must take it off-line and into the real world. To truly make a lasting connection, a face-to-face meeting can never be replaced.
Online networking is an important tool in a job hunt and cannot be ignored. It’s cost effective, immediate, and pervasive. Any professional would be crazy not to leverage the opportunities it provides. But job offers don’t happen without a handshake. And that handshake must be in person. The goal of online networking interactions should always be an in-person meeting.
Anyone can assume an online persona. It’s only a personal meeting, complete with eye contact and body language, where people can get to know one another fully.