Networking in the Real World

Social networks and web sites 0:00 can provide fantastic opportunities for networking, 0:02 but there is a limit to the interaction. 0:06 Online communication can often be disjointed, 0:08 especially if you limit yourself to forums, chats, 0:11 email, and other virtual forms of interaction. 0:14 Online networking is vital, 0:17 but there's no substitute for making a real human connection, 0:20 and that's why it's important to make an effort 0:23 to get offline and meet people in person. 0:26 [Christopher Schmitt] Well I think you just said it. 0:29 You get out of the laptop, right? 0:31 So you're always in front of the laptop, 0:33 and so your mind is always trying to 0:35 find the latest blog, tutorial, or whatnot, 0:37 and sometimes those get out of date 0:40 and don't get updated. 0:42 Sometimes the information changes so fast— 0:44 like we just talked about responsive images and how much has changed within the last year, 0:46 and it needs to be updated, 0:50 and sometimes what's really popular in Google searches 0:54 isn't really what you need to know, right? 0:57 So you really need someone that can— 0:59 a speaker at a conference who can hopefully— 1:02 if they're expert enough, put it into context for you. 1:04 Also it's a great way to network 1:07 and meet like-minded folks 1:09 who you probably wouldn't—normally wouldn't meet otherwise, 1:12 so it's a really great way of doing that. 1:14 So just the way the industry changes so fast is really a great way 1:16 to just get up to date pretty fast 1:19 and ask—not only just to speakers 1:22 but there's a saying that 1:24 sometimes the speaker isn't the smartest person in the room; 1:26 it's the audience—is the smartest person in the room, 1:29 and one of the things when I speak 1:31 is that if there's a question I don't know, 1:33 I make sure I tell people, 1:35 "I don't know the answer to that one, but maybe someone here knows." 1:37 Most of the time, they probably know the answer to it. 1:39 So that's a great way to learn, get your answers, 1:42 and move on, 1:46 make a—not just—but be inspired to great things, 1:48 and I feel like you get inspired by knowing, right? 1:52 And knowing what you need to do to build great things. 1:55 [Dan Gorgone] There are many opportunities to attend events 1:58 where you can learn more about the job you want 2:01 and the skills you need. 2:04 No matter where you are, 2:06 there should be a number of local meetings, workshops, and conferences. 2:08 If you need help finding some events, 2:11 let's think back to the activity 2:13 where we used keywords and locations 2:15 to search for competitors. 2:17 Let's do the same search but instead of personal sites and social profiles, 2:19 let's focus on the results that feature industry blogs, 2:24 local events, 2:27 and organizations. 2:29 Each of these provide focused content related to the keywords you entered 2:31 and often provide calendars 2:34 of upcoming events, meetings, and other chances to network. 2:37 [Dave Rupert] In Austin, Texas—where I live, 2:42 there are— 2:45 every Tuesday night, 2:47 this guy, Damon—can I tell the story? >> Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah. 2:50 [Dave Rupert] This guy, Damon, came up with this concept. 2:54 He negotiated with his wife 2:57 one night a week 2:59 to go out and work on side projects. 3:01 So he got Tuesday night, 3:03 so he can go to any meetup he wants, 3:06 he can just sit in the coffee shop and code all night long. 3:08 Wife watches the kids. 3:11 So he kind of turned it into a thing, 3:14 like, "Hey, we meet up here." 3:16 Out of that—actually like 2 startups have been formed, 3:18 like dudes just sitting there, coding together, 3:22 and they launched and startup and they got millions in funding. 3:26 A success story, right? 3:29 So that's kind of the environment 3:31 he incubated. 3:34 So Cafe Bedouins is this thing where you just go out Tuesday night, 3:36 you work on a side project. 3:39 And so I've just been trying to go out and do that. 3:41 There's more I can learn, you know? 3:43 I mean, I need to— 3:45 I don't know every class and every function and every method and— 3:47 it's just to learn, 3:50 just to make sure I have the basics covered, 3:53 and that will no doubt help me in my day job and do something later. 3:55 [Dan Gorgone] Networking with others in person 4:00 can lead to opportunities to meet potential new partners 4:02 or create new business. 4:06 They can also lead to impromptu chats and discussions, 4:08 brainstorms, and other constructive talks. 4:11 The best part 4:14 is that meeting in real life can establish or strengthen 4:16 an existing connection that began online. 4:19 Meeting in person gives people a chance to understand the personalities 4:22 behind the online personas, 4:26 but networking in real life also requires a different set of skills. 4:29 While remaining hidden behind your laptop 4:32 can offer a degree of anonymity and safety, 4:35 real-life networking requires that you present yourself 4:38 in a professional manner. 4:41 If you hope to make a positive impression with the people you meet, 4:43 make the effort that others might not. 4:45 Don't dress down. 4:48 At least go business casual. 4:51 Don't show up late; be there on time or early 4:53 to take advantage of the chance to say hello. 4:57 If you're shy about meeting new people, 5:00 do some research first. 5:02 The event you're doing to should have a focus 5:04 and perhaps some speakers with a particular background. 5:06 Be friendly, introduce yourself, 5:09 and ask for advice if necessary, 5:12 but don't immediately venture into the territory 5:14 where you ask to work together 5:16 or anything too forward. 5:18 Remember: These events are not just for you to meet them; 5:20 it's for them to meet you, too. 5:23 Whether you bring business cards or simply share your Twitter handle, 5:26 give people a way to remember you, as well, 5:30 in a positive way. 5:33 Like courses or formal training, 5:36 networking events might be something 5:38 that your current employer will pay for you to attend; 5:40 that is, as long as the events focus on workshops and seminars 5:43 and not on cocktail parties. 5:47 If you're finding it challenging to locate local events, 5:49 consider starting up one of your own. 5:52 Sites like Meetup.com have features built in 5:55 for people to quickly organize and manage smaller events. 5:57 Keep in mind that if you do a great job developing your own profile and expertise, 6:01 you may be invited to speak at an event 6:07 and the changes to network increase dramatically. 6:09 Regardless of where you are, 6:13 every event is an opportunity to make connections 6:15 that will benefit your career, 6:17 as well as your personal pursuits. 6:19