Networking opportunities at 'Smart Networking' events

You hear it everywhere. Experts are giving speeches and coaching lessons every day throughout the country. There is soon to be a networking degree program I am sure. I attended one of these networking events last night. Particularly, it was a networking event to teach you how to network in today's world of highest unemployment rates, employers who are hesitant to hire and changing ways we communicate.

The event was good, helpful, refreshing, giving hope to all those that are looking for new opportunities, transitioning careers or those that have been layed off 3, 6 or 12 months ago. The speaker emphasized the importance of setting yourself apart from the pile of thousands of resumes. As has been the practice of many generations before today, it is still who you know that gets you where you want to be. The only thing that may have changed is how you get to know that key 'who.'

The internet and social and professional sites are full of networking opportunities. You can be 'LinkedIn' to an industry group member on the other side of the country. You can find your old co-workers who are now on the other side of the ocean and classmates that are on a different continent. The world is really getting smaller.

Ironically these opportunities take us away from the people that are sitting right next to you or at least a few chairs away from you in that same room, at that same event looking for that same key 'who' person that would lead them to their next big opportunity. Yet, I was surprised that the organizers and the speaker did not make it a point to turn to your neighboor and give your '30 second' pitch to them. Isn't that the first step of networking?

It is a personal challenge to many of us to turn to a total stranger and feel comfortable even saying 'Hello' without feeling like a potential fool. Remaining focused, poised and direct becomes even more complicated. Even if you've 'linkedin' someone to your profile, there will nevertheless come a time when you may need to speak to that person on the phone to ask them your '3 key questions' or in person over coffee for an informational interview. These are still the real challenges that are becoming harder to face as we get into the comfort of the online communities.

Be brave, break the ice and soon enough you will be the one contacted for an informational interview!