Couldn’t Have Said it Better Myself: Networking Link Roundup

It is time for the return of my “Couldn’t Have Said it Better Myself” link round-up. These lists started as a monthly “peek into my brain” as your personal Google Reader, and have since morphed to be theme-based. Rather than post monthly, I will post by topic when the mood strikes (and when a stroke of luck and good planning gives me time to sift through 70+ Google Reader feeds). The topic for this round is Networking.

Networking and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it when networking happens naturally and authentically; when it is fun, interesting and allows me to build real relationships with people. I hate networking when it feels forced, regimented, too strategic, or requires tedious small-talk. For many of the reasons on my second list, I always thought of networking as eating my spinach. I “networked” when it was convenient; not because I liked it, but because I knew it was good for me.

In the last year, largely thanks to Twitter, I have had a complete change of heart. Connecting with others in real-time (either on the phone or in person) after meeting online has been exciting, enriching and incredibly fulfilling. I am networking naturally because I enjoy it – because people are inspiring and interesting, and I am learning from them in a number of ways. Everyone has a great story to tell, and by virtue of how we meet we already seem to have a baseline of things in common. So without further ado, below are some networking articles that you will hopefully find interesting and informative.

Couldn’t Have Said it Better Myself: Networking

• The Popularity Factor (Think Simple Now)
• Solitary and Social: 10 Reasons to be Both (Positively Present)
• Essential Post-Grad Social Skills (The Gradspot.com)
• 6 Ways to Build Better Relationships with Co-Workers (Ryan Stephens Marketing)
• How I Failed at Networking (Nine to Done)
• GenY Navigates its Own Support System (Slow Down Fast Lane Coaching)
• How to Allieviate Self-Consciousness and Other People Allergies and The Secret to Connecting with People (Raptitude)
• Plant A Hundred Flowers and Watch What Blooms (Escape from Cubicle Nation)
• Bloggers Can be Friends Too (Life is Like a Box of Chocolates)
• One of My Favorite Networking Tips (The Thin Pink Line) - hat tip to Irina from Nine to Done
• Cupcake Tweetup Roundup (Broke Grad Student) – a networking event organized by yours truly and the lovely Jamie Varon!
  
• 26 People I Highly Respect (Art of Nonconformity) - okay, so I cheated: this post isn’t directly related to networking, but Chris does talk about all of the relationships he built when he was just getting started and gives thanks to some key people who helped him along the way. Plus – it’s a great list of all-star blogs that are definitely worth checking out!
• Awesome Blogger Video Series by Jun Loayza (Viralogy) – okay, okay, so I cheated again. While this is not a single post about networking, it is a great example of connecting people in new ways. Jun’s video interviews are fun, full of great questions, and a great forum for learning more about GenY bloggers.

Guess what? I found half of these blogs through social media networking! Okay cheesy, I know, but true. Bottom line: networking doesn’t just make you friends, it makes you smarter.

Want to keep up with what I’m reading? Subscribe to my Delicious Network and my Google Reader shared items feed.

No related posts.