This weekend as many current Maxwell students ventured to
Washington DC for our annual networking trip, I was struck by the interaction
between networking in the traditional sense and social media networks. At a
recent event that I attended, the presenter suggested searching for attendees on
LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media platforms prior to a networking
event. Previously I have used these
tools to connect and follow up with people I have met; using them in anticipation
of meeting someone was something I hadn’t previously considered.
While I was a little uncomfortable with the idea initially,
as I began to find several of the attendees’ social media pages I began to
realize how invaluable the information would be. Finding commonalities in experience
and interests gave me a much better idea of how our meeting could be mutually
beneficial, and also allowed me time in advance to determine appropriate
questions.
After networking events, I have often felt I could have
utilized my time better; having prior detailed knowledge of potential contacts
allowed me to make the most effective use of our time. I came away with many
meaningful interactions and a new appreciation for the value of both
traditional and social media networking.
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