Networking in the New Year 2011
As many economists say that 2011 is expected to bring a thaw in hiring, even as the unemployment rate may temporarily rise as discouraged workers come back into the workplace, networking remains important asset in any job search.
Some job seekers are taking a cue from very visible twenty and early thirty somethings who are writing their own rules about employment. Dan Schwabel is one.
Dan has created a splash with his 2009 title Me 2.0 Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success and a new version published in October, 2010 called Me 2.0 Revised and Updated: 4 Steps to Rebuilding Your Future (Kaplan Publishing). He can be found on his website www.danschawbel.com and also blogs at www.personalbrandingblog.com where he’s entered personal branding predictions for 2011.
Late in 2010, I received an invitation to interview Dan through one of his sponsors, DeVry University. No limitations were placed on questions I asked and he wasn’t paid for his participation. The interview was brief and capped at seven minutes.
I asked Dan, who has been widely covered in the media, what is the most difficult part of keeping a brand fresh. He said to keep the information relevant, up-to-date and consistent. Consistency is important he says because you are making an implicit promise to your network.
And when I asked what it was necessary to do to avoid having a brand become overexposed he highlighted the importance of being focused and singled out Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as being particularly effective.
As social media continues to evolve, there will likely be new branding outlets that become popular. Still, the essential truth of networking is you get out of it what you put into it.
