5 Tips on Turning Your Online Network Into Your Real Life Network

Posted on December 9, 2011 by meghan_ntroduction

It seems you can’t go anywhere online without reading about the importance of your online network. And while that is important, especially when trying to establish a network to build a career, change careers or even to find a job, it’s just as important to maintain your real life network.

A lot can be said for a strong and extensive online network. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and many other sites throughout the web give us incredible opportunities to connect and network with people across the globe. But many of these sites offer you the chance to connect with people local to you as well.

Take some time to explore ways to connect your online network to your real life network and you could open up a whole new set of opportunities.

Twitter Lists: A few months back Twitter introduced a great new feature that allows you to create a list of Twitter users based on whatever category you’d like. A great way to localize your twitter stream is to use the Twitter search function to search your town or surrounding area. Add the people you find to a list you create and start interacting and Networking with people in your area.
Attend a Tweetup: Tweetups are meetups put together so that people who interact online via twitter can meet in person. These are usually great ways to network and to bring your online network offline and into your real life. Once you’ve started following folks in your area start asking around to see is anyone is putting something together.
Organize a Tweetup: If no one in your area is taking the initiative to schedule a local tweetup, do it yourself! If you have connected with people locally g for it and start planting the seed. Here are some great tips for organizing a great Tweetup.
Facebook Fan Pages: Many cities are creating fan pages for the city itself or institutions within the city. The local library, community center, Parks & recreation District and chamber of commerce in your area all may have active fan pages. Become a fan so that you not only connect with other locals who are fans but to stay abreast of any networking events or job fairs in your hometown. This is truly becoming a great way to stay connected locally and build a network of people nearby.
The Local Paper: You don’t have to have the paperboy deliver the hard copy to your door anymore to take advantage of all that a local paper has to offer. If you have a local paper, chances are they are online and you can subscribe via email, usually for free. Many groups and local clubs still religiously list their events with the local paper. This is another great way to network locally.

Hopefully these tips will just be the tip of the iceberg for you when it comes to making your online network grow and become a part of your local network. You never know what new job and career opportunities may await at your next local Tweetup.

One more reminder: When you do attend local events to meet up with online friends always remember your business card! Have a number, email, website address and of course your Twitter handle on a card ready to hand out at all times.

Good luck!

Job Fairs: Are They Worth It?

Posted on February 4, 2010 by meghan_ntroduction

Job fair attendance across the country has increased dramatically over the last year. With job fairs usually offering a handful of jobs to hundreds or even thousands of attendees (depending on where you are) you may ask yourself, why bother? Well don’t be so quick to dismiss the oversaturated job fair scene.

First and foremost, you never know. Armed with some good looking resumes, a few references (many people at job fairs don’t bring these along, so set yourself apart by having some handy) and the right attitude you just maybe walking into a great opportunity. And that doesn’t necessarily mean the companies who are there looking for a few new hires.

One of the greatest things about a job fair, especially ones with a lot of people, is it gives you a chance to network with other people looking work, in your field in particular. Today’s job hunter could be tomorrow’s hiring manager.

As mentioned in this week’s earlier post, Avoiding the Black Hole When Job Hunting, a good way to open doors is by working together with friends and colleagues who are also looking for work.

Follow up with contacts you make at a local job fair. Ask them about what kind of work they’re looking for and tell them that you’ll them to a list of other contacts looking for work and that you’ll be sure to send them any job leads you find that may be w2ell suited to them. Ask them to do the same.

Soon you could find yourself with a great circle of contacts all working together to find work.

And hey, you never know! You could find yourself being wooed by any one of the companies hosting a booth at the local job fair too.

Be sure to check with your local paper or Chamber of Commerce for job fairs in your area. You can also visit sites such as, EmploymentGuide.com to find job fairs near you.

Planning Your Job Search: Think outside the Box Before you go Job Hunting

Posted on September 10, 2009 by meghan_ntroduction

Planning Your Job Search: Think outside the Box Before you go Job Hunting

Today’s job market is one of the most volatile we’ve seen since the early 1980s or possibly even since the Great Depression. The number of people searching for work continues to grow each day, while the amount of jobs available continues to shrink.

The unfortunate reality is that even though there has been a small drop in overall unemployment, according to a recent article from Time.com, the more serious issue of long-term employment shows no signs of stopping. According to the article long-term unemployment (unemployed for 27 weeks or more) increased from 4.4 million to 4.9 million from June to July. One in three unemployed workers have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more. The most disturbing statistics is that one-quarter of long-term unemployed people; never return to the work force. This leaves the possibility of an almost permanent recession in the United States.

Given all this, competition is ruthless and salaries are shrinking. That doesn’t mean the right job isn’t out there for you. It just means you have to step outside the box a little to find it. Here are some tips to help make your job search work for you. Use these tips to figure where you should be living and looking for work.

Where are jobs and who is hiring – what is happening
What Professions are in demand
Where are the safest and most affordable cities to live in?
What Cities are the best places to live if your single?
Consider how far are your friends & relatives

Once you picked a city or two that looks like the right place for you to find your next job, here is what you do next:

Summarize the salaries.
Visit some online resources that enable you to look for jobs at national level for the areas you have in mind.
Online resources to gather neighborhood information on the neighborhood you’re thinking about moving too.

And don’t forget the most precious resource you have, a list of who you know. Former colleagues, friends, and associates. And of them may have the right connection to get you your next job. Don’t forget to spread the word that you’re looking, the right introduction may just be the one that leads you to your future.

You can also reach out beyond your Network here at Ntroduction.com – simply ask for introduction and achieve your career goal(s).

Good luck!

Would I introduce my close buddy at Ntroduction?

Posted on September 5, 2009 by admin

Would I introduce my buddy at Ntroduction?

Would I introduce my close buddy at Ntroduction to a seeker?

That is a judgment call I have to make – I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’.

Let me define who is my “close buddy” or “the buddy of my inner circle”? If my buddy watches out for my interest and I watch out for him/her, then I would treat such buddy as buddy of my inner circle or close buddy.

Ntroduction : Who would you introduce at Ntroduction.com?

I may not necessarily introduce my close buddy, the buddy of my ‘inner circle’ - However, I would provide introduction to somebody who I know professionally and I am not very close to him or her – my buddy in my ‘outer circle’. I would also be upfront and tell him/her that I am getting paid for the introduction.

For example, while working as part of Finance department, say, I came across Tom, a Sales Director who is looking for a sales person to hire. Would I introduce Tom at Ntroduction to a member seeking for a sales job? Yes – it would depend if he is part of my ‘buddy of my inner circle’. If Tom is not part of my ‘inner circle’, I will reach out to Tom, the Sales Director and inform that I may get paid if he ends up hiring the candidate I introduced.

Needless to say, I will review the candidate’s resume, possibly meet him/her and obtain comfort that this person comes across as a Sales person, is personable and has general qualities of a sales person

However if Tom was really my close buddy, my buddy in my inner circle, that would be a judgment call. If my close buddy Tom reached out to me and said “I really really need to find this Sales person as soon as possible, please let me know if you know somebody that fits my requirement“, then I will probably think about helping Tom with the referral – I would probably ask Tom “I may get paid from this candidate for investing my time qualifying this person, is that OK?“ If Tom agrees, then I will probably proceed.

How about you?

, I would call him/her my close buddy

Can Professional world turn chaotic with Swine Flu?

Posted on August 31, 2009 by tazaguru

Can Swine Flu turn professional world choatic?

Can Swine Flu turn professional world chaotic?

With flu’s favorite chilly weather fast approaching, get ready for the Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu). Media has been speaking about how bad it can be and looks like 1 in 5 would be affected by swine flu.

Nobody knows what might happen but the better news :

Even with no vaccine, winter is ending in the Southern Hemisphere without as much havoc as doctors had feared, a heavy season that started early but not an overwhelming one.
The strain that doctors call the 2009 H1N1 flu isn’t any deadlier than typical winter flu so far. Most people recover without treatment; many become only mildly ill.
Importantly, careful genetic tracking shows no sign yet that the virus is mutating into a harsher strain.

Only this week do U.S. researchers start blood tests to answer a critical question: How many doses of swine flu vaccine does it take to protect? The answer will determine whether many people need to line up for two flu shots – one against swine flu and one against the regular flu – or three.

As if we have life less complicated, when the vaccine becomes available by mid October, there could be scarcity of vaccines so, there would be preference to – pregnant women, young kid’s and young adults who have breathing problems – over others.

Alright! – What would happen to the professional world?

What if 1 in 5 in critical departments gets sick? Can this drive chaotic?

Typically Corporations have two plans – business continuity plan (BCP) and disaster recovery plan(DR) drafted and tested (mostly dry drills) that is executed when a crisis such as earth-quake or some action of god hits.

Can these plans be executed to avoid chaotic professional world? Depends – It is designed for a situation to avoid losing business except that the assumption here is, personnel who are responsible in executing the above plans should be mindful and healthy to execute the BCP.

You see where this is going?

So, let’s talk about how you can try to avoid getting affected:

Make sure that it is a policy in your kids school to send sick kids home that shows the symptoms of flu (coughing, sneezing) – No disrespect intended to anyone. Same policy should be instilled within the corporate wall too.
Take a lot of Vitamin-C and such, that can strengthen your immunity
As soon as you and kids get home, no matter how tired you/they are, take a shower – Water vapor can help keep the lungs clean while body gets sanitized
Avoid going to crowded places if you can
Make sure you wipe your hands with anti-bacterial sanitizer as soon as you come from bathroom or from kitchen or meetings
If you happen to catch flu, email the team to take leave and most importantly, take the medication within one day, worst two (The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses)

Let’s hope that the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs