I was having a cup of coffee with a friend the other day and the conversation turned to my upcoming book on networking (somewhat shameless plug - Networking in the 21st Century: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It). She asked me if it was possible to network on a budget because she found that all of the networking lunches and coffees and events can really add up. She works in alumni development for a large university; and she shared that a lot of young professionals right out of school feel that they can't build a strong network because they don't have the financial resources to keep up with it all. I can understand their … [Read more...]
In Social Media, Attitude is Everything
When someone brings up social media, do you cringe or do you get excited? You don't have to tell me what you thought, but your answer to that question is the strongest indicator of your success in using social media to drive your career. In training thousands of professionals on how to effectively use sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to accomplish their goals, I've found one certainty: Attitude is everything Your Social Media Approach Matters How someone approaches social media is the biggest determinant on how effectively they integrate it into their business life Why? Because social media isn't about technology or about … [Read more...]
How Can You Get More People to See Your LinkedIn Posts?
Updated December 2018 So I'm having an early morning breakfast at a hotel where I'm speaking that day for a group of financial advisers. I strike up a conversation with the guy sitting at the next table. And it turns out that he is attending the conference. He shares that he's been in the business for 20 years and has been pretty successful, but he actually came to the meeting to hear me speak about social media and LinkedIn, because he "...just doesn't get it. Why should I post what I'm doing? Who cares about that? Isn't it just people talking about what they had for lunch?" Create Visibility in a "Noisy" World After explaining … [Read more...]
My Trick to Successful First Dates (It Works on Networking “First Dates” Too!)
Updated October 2018 I wrote this article about how to do well on first dates (because I was going on a lot of first dates and I was struck by how awkward they can be). I realized that the tool works just as well when you grab a cup of coffee or lunch with a new networking partner...which is basically another form of first date. So whether you are looking for a referral partner or a spouse, I hope this will help! Most of us dread first dates. It's a weird combination of job interview, etiquette test, and fashion show that we submit to in the hopes that a) we like the other person and b) the other person likes us. And the most "useful" … [Read more...]
Relationships are the New Job Security
If you haven’t noticed, the way the world works has changed a lot. Daily life is going to be a lot different for my children than it was for my parents. In times of change, we yearn for security. Unfortunately, the places that we’ve traditionally found security – career, families, culture - are where most of the changes are happening. One area this is obvious is the lack of traditional job security. Flexibility = Insecurity From a historical perspective, it was way easier when you knew that someday you would take your parent’s job. Millers milled, Porters ported, Smiths smithed (I’m pretty sure I know what my forefathers did for a … [Read more...]
The Clues Hidden in the Structure of My LinkedIn Network
Updated December 2018 Back in the day, LinkedIn offered a service that let you graphically represent your LinkedIn network. It gave you a way to visualize what how your connections were linked to you and to each other. Unfortunately, it's not possible to use the service anymore. But they contained some great lessons to be pulled from what my LinkedIn network looked like back then. The Power of 2nd Level Connections Here's what mine looked like: Think about what you are seeing here. This is my personal org chart. This visually describes how I'm connected to everyone I know and how they are connected to each other. These … [Read more...]
Don’t Like Other Networking Events? 5 Steps to Running Your Own!
These days it seems like networking events are springing up everywhere. No matter where you live and work, you could find a networking breakfast or cocktail reception to go to every day of the week. Many of these events brag about how large they are, and how many people you can meet by attending. There’s nothing wrong with going to these large events, but many people find them overwhelming, and it’s hard to make good connections in the hustle and bustle of a crowded room. What can you do...? Try this: put together your own networking event. It’s not as hard as it sounds, and it can be very rewarding. The goal here is not to have … [Read more...]
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