1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,560 Social networks and web sites 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:06,050 can provide fantastic opportunities for networking, 3 00:00:06,050 --> 00:00:08,380 but there is a limit to the interaction. 4 00:00:08,380 --> 00:00:11,210 Online communication can often be disjointed, 5 00:00:11,210 --> 00:00:14,080 especially if you limit yourself to forums, chats, 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,410 email, and other virtual forms of interaction. 7 00:00:17,410 --> 00:00:20,030 Online networking is vital, 8 00:00:20,030 --> 00:00:23,970 but there's no substitute for making a real human connection, 9 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:26,290 and that's why it's important to make an effort 10 00:00:26,290 --> 00:00:29,540 to get offline and meet people in person. 11 00:00:29,540 --> 00:00:31,310 [Christopher Schmitt] Well I think you just said it. 12 00:00:31,310 --> 00:00:33,300 You get out of the laptop, right? 13 00:00:33,300 --> 00:00:35,280 So you're always in front of the laptop, 14 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:37,220 and so your mind is always trying to 15 00:00:37,220 --> 00:00:40,680 find the latest blog, tutorial, or whatnot, 16 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,660 and sometimes those get out of date 17 00:00:42,660 --> 00:00:44,410 and don't get updated. 18 00:00:44,410 --> 00:00:46,460 Sometimes the information changes so fast— 19 00:00:46,460 --> 00:00:50,500 like we just talked about responsive images and how much has changed within the last year, 20 00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:54,590 and it needs to be updated, 21 00:00:54,590 --> 00:00:57,320 and sometimes what's really popular in Google searches 22 00:00:57,320 --> 00:00:59,650 isn't really what you need to know, right? 23 00:00:59,650 --> 00:01:02,120 So you really need someone that can— 24 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,530 a speaker at a conference who can hopefully— 25 00:01:04,530 --> 00:01:07,390 if they're expert enough, put it into context for you. 26 00:01:07,390 --> 00:01:09,760 Also it's a great way to network 27 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,130 and meet like-minded folks 28 00:01:12,130 --> 00:01:14,170 who you probably wouldn't—normally wouldn't meet otherwise, 29 00:01:14,170 --> 00:01:16,430 so it's a really great way of doing that. 30 00:01:16,430 --> 00:01:19,930 So just the way the industry changes so fast is really a great way 31 00:01:19,930 --> 00:01:22,510 to just get up to date pretty fast 32 00:01:22,510 --> 00:01:24,360 and ask—not only just to speakers 33 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:26,320 but there's a saying that 34 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:29,260 sometimes the speaker isn't the smartest person in the room; 35 00:01:29,260 --> 00:01:31,900 it's the audience—is the smartest person in the room, 36 00:01:31,900 --> 00:01:33,610 and one of the things when I speak 37 00:01:33,610 --> 00:01:35,870 is that if there's a question I don't know, 38 00:01:35,870 --> 00:01:37,270 I make sure I tell people, 39 00:01:37,270 --> 00:01:39,550 "I don't know the answer to that one, but maybe someone here knows." 40 00:01:39,550 --> 00:01:42,700 Most of the time, they probably know the answer to it. 41 00:01:42,700 --> 00:01:46,950 So that's a great way to learn, get your answers, 42 00:01:46,950 --> 00:01:48,830 and move on, 43 00:01:48,830 --> 00:01:52,370 make a—not just—but be inspired to great things, 44 00:01:52,370 --> 00:01:55,440 and I feel like you get inspired by knowing, right? 45 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,190 And knowing what you need to do to build great things. 46 00:01:58,190 --> 00:02:01,610 [Dan Gorgone] There are many opportunities to attend events 47 00:02:01,610 --> 00:02:04,030 where you can learn more about the job you want 48 00:02:04,030 --> 00:02:06,270 and the skills you need. 49 00:02:06,270 --> 00:02:08,090 No matter where you are, 50 00:02:08,090 --> 00:02:11,050 there should be a number of local meetings, workshops, and conferences. 51 00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:13,630 If you need help finding some events, 52 00:02:13,630 --> 00:02:15,260 let's think back to the activity 53 00:02:15,260 --> 00:02:17,360 where we used keywords and locations 54 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,310 to search for competitors. 55 00:02:19,310 --> 00:02:24,310 Let's do the same search but instead of personal sites and social profiles, 56 00:02:24,310 --> 00:02:27,480 let's focus on the results that feature industry blogs, 57 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:29,100 local events, 58 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:31,030 and organizations. 59 00:02:31,030 --> 00:02:34,930 Each of these provide focused content related to the keywords you entered 60 00:02:34,930 --> 00:02:37,090 and often provide calendars 61 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:41,310 of upcoming events, meetings, and other chances to network. 62 00:02:42,950 --> 00:02:45,540 [Dave Rupert] In Austin, Texas—where I live, 63 00:02:45,540 --> 00:02:47,980 there are— 64 00:02:47,980 --> 00:02:50,280 every Tuesday night, 65 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:54,680 this guy, Damon—can I tell the story? >> Yeah, sure. Yeah, yeah. 66 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,910 [Dave Rupert] This guy, Damon, came up with this concept. 67 00:02:57,910 --> 00:02:59,850 He negotiated with his wife 68 00:02:59,850 --> 00:03:01,510 one night a week 69 00:03:01,510 --> 00:03:03,470 to go out and work on side projects. 70 00:03:03,470 --> 00:03:06,090 So he got Tuesday night, 71 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:08,620 so he can go to any meetup he wants, 72 00:03:08,620 --> 00:03:11,220 he can just sit in the coffee shop and code all night long. 73 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:14,540 Wife watches the kids. 74 00:03:14,540 --> 00:03:16,480 So he kind of turned it into a thing, 75 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,470 like, "Hey, we meet up here." 76 00:03:18,470 --> 00:03:22,710 Out of that—actually like 2 startups have been formed, 77 00:03:22,710 --> 00:03:26,160 like dudes just sitting there, coding together, 78 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,170 and they launched and startup and they got millions in funding. 79 00:03:29,170 --> 00:03:31,250 A success story, right? 80 00:03:31,250 --> 00:03:34,620 So that's kind of the environment 81 00:03:34,620 --> 00:03:36,250 he incubated. 82 00:03:36,250 --> 00:03:39,100 So Cafe Bedouins is this thing where you just go out Tuesday night, 83 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:41,300 you work on a side project. 84 00:03:41,300 --> 00:03:43,010 And so I've just been trying to go out and do that. 85 00:03:43,010 --> 00:03:45,600 There's more I can learn, you know? 86 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,290 I mean, I need to— 87 00:03:47,290 --> 00:03:50,570 I don't know every class and every function and every method and— 88 00:03:50,570 --> 00:03:53,300 it's just to learn, 89 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:55,150 just to make sure I have the basics covered, 90 00:03:55,150 --> 00:04:00,320 and that will no doubt help me in my day job and do something later. 91 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,320 [Dan Gorgone] Networking with others in person 92 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,160 can lead to opportunities to meet potential new partners 93 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,400 or create new business. 94 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,880 They can also lead to impromptu chats and discussions, 95 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,830 brainstorms, and other constructive talks. 96 00:04:14,830 --> 00:04:16,490 The best part 97 00:04:16,490 --> 00:04:19,760 is that meeting in real life can establish or strengthen 98 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,940 an existing connection that began online. 99 00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:26,380 Meeting in person gives people a chance to understand the personalities 100 00:04:26,380 --> 00:04:29,070 behind the online personas, 101 00:04:29,070 --> 00:04:32,870 but networking in real life also requires a different set of skills. 102 00:04:32,870 --> 00:04:35,550 While remaining hidden behind your laptop 103 00:04:35,550 --> 00:04:38,300 can offer a degree of anonymity and safety, 104 00:04:38,300 --> 00:04:41,030 real-life networking requires that you present yourself 105 00:04:41,030 --> 00:04:43,130 in a professional manner. 106 00:04:43,130 --> 00:04:45,960 If you hope to make a positive impression with the people you meet, 107 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,600 make the effort that others might not. 108 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,510 Don't dress down. 109 00:04:51,510 --> 00:04:53,720 At least go business casual. 110 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:57,040 Don't show up late; be there on time or early 111 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,120 to take advantage of the chance to say hello. 112 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,110 If you're shy about meeting new people, 113 00:05:02,110 --> 00:05:04,020 do some research first. 114 00:05:04,020 --> 00:05:06,080 The event you're doing to should have a focus 115 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,420 and perhaps some speakers with a particular background. 116 00:05:09,420 --> 00:05:12,560 Be friendly, introduce yourself, 117 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:14,830 and ask for advice if necessary, 118 00:05:14,830 --> 00:05:16,790 but don't immediately venture into the territory 119 00:05:16,790 --> 00:05:18,560 where you ask to work together 120 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:20,240 or anything too forward. 121 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:23,670 Remember: These events are not just for you to meet them; 122 00:05:23,670 --> 00:05:26,970 it's for them to meet you, too. 123 00:05:26,970 --> 00:05:30,790 Whether you bring business cards or simply share your Twitter handle, 124 00:05:30,790 --> 00:05:33,660 give people a way to remember you, as well, 125 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:36,080 in a positive way. 126 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,390 Like courses or formal training, 127 00:05:38,390 --> 00:05:40,140 networking events might be something 128 00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:43,330 that your current employer will pay for you to attend; 129 00:05:43,330 --> 00:05:47,350 that is, as long as the events focus on workshops and seminars 130 00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:49,850 and not on cocktail parties. 131 00:05:49,850 --> 00:05:52,130 If you're finding it challenging to locate local events, 132 00:05:52,130 --> 00:05:55,120 consider starting up one of your own. 133 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,800 Sites like Meetup.com have features built in 134 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,630 for people to quickly organize and manage smaller events. 135 00:06:01,630 --> 00:06:07,660 Keep in mind that if you do a great job developing your own profile and expertise, 136 00:06:07,660 --> 00:06:09,660 you may be invited to speak at an event 137 00:06:09,660 --> 00:06:13,550 and the changes to network increase dramatically. 138 00:06:13,550 --> 00:06:15,160 Regardless of where you are, 139 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,610 every event is an opportunity to make connections 140 00:06:17,610 --> 00:06:19,390 that will benefit your career, 141 00:06:19,390 --> 00:06:22,390 as well as your personal pursuits.