Social networks and web sites

can provide fantastic opportunities for networking,

but there is a limit to the interaction.

Online communication can often be disjointed,

especially if you limit yourself to forums, chats,

email, and other virtual forms of interaction.

Online networking is vital,

but there's no substitute for making a real human connection,

and that's why it's important to make an effort

to get offline and meet people in person.

[Christopher Schmitt] Well I think you just said it.

You get out of the laptop, right?

So you're always in front of the laptop,

and so your mind is always trying to

find the latest blog, tutorial, or whatnot,

and sometimes those get out of date

and don't get updated.

Sometimes the information changes so fast—

like we just talked about responsive images and how much has changed within the last year,

and it needs to be updated,

and sometimes what's really popular in Google searches

isn't really what you need to know, right?

So you really need someone that can—

a speaker at a conference who can hopefully—

if they're expert enough, put it into context for you.

Also it's a great way to network

and meet like-minded folks

who you probably wouldn't—normally wouldn't meet otherwise,

so it's a really great way of doing that.

So just the way the industry changes so fast is really a great way

to just get up to date pretty fast

and ask—not only just to speakers

but there's a saying that

sometimes the speaker isn't the smartest person in the room;

it's the audience—is the smartest person in the room,

and one of the things when I speak

is that if there's a question I don't know,

I make sure I tell people,

"I don't know the answer to that one, but maybe someone here knows."

Most of the time, they probably know the answer to it.

So that's a great way to learn, get your answers,

and move on,

make a—not just—but be inspired to great things,

and I feel like you get inspired by knowing, right?

And knowing what you need to do to build great things.

[Dan Gorgone] There are many opportunities to attend events

where you can learn more about the job you want

and the skills you need.

No matter where you are,

there should be a number of local meetings, workshops, and conferences.

If you need help finding some events,

let's think back to the activity

where we used keywords and locations

to search for competitors.

Let's do the same search but instead of personal sites and social profiles,

let's focus on the results that feature industry blogs,

local events,

and organizations.

Each of these provide focused content related to the keywords you entered

and often provide calendars

of upcoming events, meetings, and other chances to network.

[Dave Rupert] In Austin, Texas—where I live,

there are—

every Tuesday night,

this guy, Damon—can I tell the story? >> Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah.

[Dave Rupert] This guy, Damon, came up with this concept.

He negotiated with his wife

one night a week

to go out and work on side projects.

So he got Tuesday night,

so he can go to any meetup he wants,

he can just sit in the coffee shop and code all night long.

Wife watches the kids.

So he kind of turned it into a thing,

like, "Hey, we meet up here."

Out of that—actually like 2 startups have been formed,

like dudes just sitting there, coding together,

and they launched and startup and they got millions in funding.

A success story, right?

So that's kind of the environment

he incubated.

So Cafe Bedouins is this thing where you just go out Tuesday night,

you work on a side project.

And so I've just been trying to go out and do that.

There's more I can learn, you know?

I mean, I need to—

I don't know every class and every function and every method and—

it's just to learn,

just to make sure I have the basics covered,

and that will no doubt help me in my day job and do something later.

[Dan Gorgone] Networking with others in person

can lead to opportunities to meet potential new partners

or create new business.

They can also lead to impromptu chats and discussions,

brainstorms, and other constructive talks.

The best part

is that meeting in real life can establish or strengthen

an existing connection that began online.

Meeting in person gives people a chance to understand the personalities

behind the online personas,

but networking in real life also requires a different set of skills.

While remaining hidden behind your laptop

can offer a degree of anonymity and safety,

real-life networking requires that you present yourself

in a professional manner.

If you hope to make a positive impression with the people you meet,

make the effort that others might not.

Don't dress down.

At least go business casual.

Don't show up late; be there on time or early

to take advantage of the chance to say hello.

If you're shy about meeting new people,

do some research first.

The event you're doing to should have a focus

and perhaps some speakers with a particular background.

Be friendly, introduce yourself,

and ask for advice if necessary,

but don't immediately venture into the territory

where you ask to work together

or anything too forward.

Remember: These events are not just for you to meet them;

it's for them to meet you, too.

Whether you bring business cards or simply share your Twitter handle,

give people a way to remember you, as well,

in a positive way.

Like courses or formal training,

networking events might be something

that your current employer will pay for you to attend;

that is, as long as the events focus on workshops and seminars

and not on cocktail parties.

If you're finding it challenging to locate local events,

consider starting up one of your own.

Sites like Meetup.com have features built in

for people to quickly organize and manage smaller events.

Keep in mind that if you do a great job developing your own profile and expertise,

you may be invited to speak at an event

and the changes to network increase dramatically.

Regardless of where you are,

every event is an opportunity to make connections

that will benefit your career,

as well as your personal pursuits.