[Career Foundations with Dan Gorgone]

[Dan Gorgone] It would be wonderful to accomplish everything we wanted to on our own.

Think of all the time we'd save. We wouldn't have to deal with terrible bosses,

lousy commutes, corporate backstabbing, angry customers.

There's a lot to love about working on your own.

However, the reality of working in the tech industry is that learning to network is vital for staying current,

improving your own skills, and sharing experiences.

Networking is more than simply meeting and greeting

or clicking the Follow button on a social network.

The power behind networking is when you build real relationships and turn them into professional opportunities.

Networking allows you to establish connections

and learn about the path you want to take, such as meeting people with your desired job

at an ideal company, or in the industry you'd like to be in.

It can lead to introductions, invitations to events,

and perhaps get your foot in the door when you see a promising job opening.

[Jim Hoskins] Traditional sites I think—you know—the ones where you'll find all sorts of jobs?

I haven't really looked very well. I'm sure there are plenty of them.

But I find that web development is such—one of those markets where finding talent is so difficult for people,

there's definitely more need than there are developers available,

that they make a real effort to reach out—the companies do to find those developers, so

they kind of come to where you are, so if you kind of just look around and find the job boards

that seem to be popular in your area. But really I think it comes down to networks—

like most of the time it comes down to knowing a friend, going to conferences and meeting people,

because that's where jobs first become available, is through the people who work there

and reaching out to their networks and then it ends up on a board usually.

So the best jobs you'll find are through your network.

[Dan Gorgone] It's important to consider your options for where and when to network,

as well as how to make to make the best impression and keep your connections active over time.

But recognize the difference between quantity and quality.

Racking up hundreds of contacts online is nothing compared to the value of a group of strong,

helpful, and engaging professional connections.

In this series of videos, we'll discuss how networking online and offline

can lead to unique opportunities to move forward along your career path.