I am going to share with you my last 4 reasons why you should grow an online network. If you missed reasons 1-6 you can either download the entire 30+ page Free ebook in the window to the right or you can find Reasons 1-6 here:
7. You can stay in touch with former colleagues.
This concept is very powerful. As you get further and further into your career, you have more colleagues that know what you have to offer and they are spread out among the marketplace. Keeping in contact with them can be a major effort. However, when you develop a network on a social networking site you make it easier to stay in touch with them and them with you!
Next time that CFO position comes available, you may just cross their mind and they will throw your name in the ring of possible candidates. All this for just keeping a “marketing presence” online! One professional shared a powerful story with me about this concept. He used LinkedIn to locate some old colleagues of his. There was one in particular that he sent an “invite” to in order to join his network.
The next day his old friend immediately sent him an email stating that he had an extra ticket to an NFL playoff game and wanted to know if was interested in going. So, he went to the game, met some people AND landed a new account with the new company (they were in need of someone with his expertise). How about that for catching up with an old colleague!
8. You can build instant rapport.
By growing your network online, it will show who you know (only if you choose to make it public) and who you are connected with. This can give you instant credibility if you both know the same person and that person can speak for you.
I have had this happen many times on both sides of the coin. I have had people contact me because they saw that I knew a former colleague of theirs and they now wanted me to work with them in their job search. I have also used it as a way to get introduced to people that I wanted to know. Building rapport and credibility is very important if you want to build a network that can benefit you in the days to come. Also, if you can get some people to recommend you on Linkedin it will do well for you. People love to buy on the approval of others and in this case we want them to buy you!
9. You can have a built-in support structure for starting your own business.
This is an area that most people do not realize can be a huge benefit for them. Once you have grown your online network, you can use that network to “super-charge” your own business. Need a solid but affordable web developer? Ask your network! They will recommend solid people with a good reputation and you can develop a short list very quickly. From there you can decide which one would best fit your need and budget. In other words, you take everyone else’s hours of research and boil it down to a few really good choices. You can use this tactic over and over again for things like:
· Finding a good CPA
· Locating the right Ad Agency
· Identifying a specialized Executive Recruiter
· Getting answer to business related issues
· Finding the right type of Lawyer
· The list goes on and on!
10. Having an online network is doing networking on your time
Physical networking (i.e. going to events, mingling with people, attending networking socials) can be very time-consuming. Now, while I believe you should be somewhat involved in all of it to be really successful, your career or personal life may not always afford you the opportunity to physically attend the networking events that you would like.
However, networking online is available on your time (and how much time that you have at the moment). Also, online networking gives you such a further reach. As I am writing this, my network grew an additional 1 million professionals by just getting connected to 15 new professionals. Needless to say, these professionals are well-connected. The statistics are amazing!
Attending one social event (that would have taken considerably a lot more time and effort) could not give me that type of reach. If the 6 degrees of separation is true, then I am much closer to finding my answers as my network grows.
Jonathan is an Executive Recruiter/Career Coach that has successfully placed hundreds of Accounting & Finance Professionals. If you are currently struggling in your career, he is available on a limited basis for personal 1-on-1 career coaching and for resume makeovers.
