Staying LinkedIn: Professional Networking
I have to admit that it took me quite some time to get the hang of the whole professional networking thing, as assisted by technology. Until 2003, I hadn't really taken a whole lot of time to network with peers on a professional level, or build a useful network of contacts that is necessary for advancing ones career. Not that I hadn't read about the need for professional networking, but it does take a bit of work (of course), and requires that you employ various social skills. 
Whether or not you consider yourself extroverted or people friendly, building a professional network is key to long-term business success. And it's not something that you can do at the last moment.
I joined LinkedIn -- at the request of a former colleague -- in January 2005, but I really didn't use it for anything. One day, in April or May of 2005, another ex-colleague invited me to join his LinkedIn network. I didn't pursue the request for a couple of weeks, but when I finally did, I was somewhat surprised at the number of contacts he had. I started to think: Hey, how could he know that many more people than me!
And then, as I began to think about it some more, I realized that I *did* know quite a lot of people, but I was not doing anything to stay in regular contact with them, or find out who they knew, or find out what they needed that I could provide -- whether directly or indirectly. It was at that time that I began to earnestly make use of LinkedIn. And I've been trying to get my colleagues to also see the benefits that they can reap as well. And it's not just for technology workers, either. In fact, the broader your network, the more useful it is, so invite your friends, neighbors and those you conduct business with.
The Harvard Business Review has published a number of articles that deal with the topic of Professional Networking, including:
Now that have started networking, the value of LinkedIn becomes much more apparent. It automates many aspects of staying connected, particularly seeing who your connections are connected to, and opening things up for job searches. It is one of my favorite tools right now.
Electronic professional networking, just like physical professional networking, takes a bit of work. The technology makes it easier, but for your own career's sake, take 5 minutes each day or 30 minutes each week to go through and make connections, or update your profile, or give a recommendation to someone, or improve your profile. If you take the time to become a valued connection, then people will come looking for you when they have a need, rather than you having to run around and find them at the last minute when you have a need.
For more information about how to obtain benefits from LinkedIn, see the following articles:
So, kick your career in high gear today, and get yourself LinkedIn. Feel free to join my LinkedIn network, as I'm more than happy to assist. You can use the following email to send your requests to: LinkedIn@<mydomain>
About Logik!
Andrew S. Baker aka ASB aka Logik!
Andrew is an accomplished, hands-on IT Executive with a solid track record of providing timely and cost-effective business solutions using technology. With over 16 years experience in Information Technology, he has proven to be effective both as a Team Leader and as an individual contributor in designing, deploying, securing and maintaining enterprise networks.
His personal interests include Astronomy, Basketball, Bible Study, Chess, Comics, Computers,
Family Life Ministries, Reading and Strategy/Role Playing games...
Some of his contributions include several whitepapers on technology and Information Security, the UltraTech Knowledgebase, various postings to technology mailing lists and forums, active participation on LinkedIn Answers, along with a number of interviews for articles published in industry magazines.
A condensed version of
Andrew's current resume is available here.