One of the things I hope to talk about more this year is job networking. If you’re reading this blog you’ve probably already experienced the power of using your network to find a job, or maybe a better job found you because of your network.   To kick off this new job networking category on my blog I’ve recruited the poster child of career networking to help me. Tom Matula has done the best job of anyone I’ve ever seen work on networking his way to a new job. I’m a little surprised that a very smart company hasn’t snapped Tom up already, but he started from a pretty disadvantaged position. He was brand new to Austin and had to build his network from scratch! That’s no small undertaking, and I applaud Tom for his efforts. He’s done a great job so far.   Tom has written 2 articles about his quest so far:   Career Networking for Introverts - Part 1: The AwakeningCareer Networking for Introverts - Part 2: Plan of Attack   In addition Tom has started his own blog here on NetworkInAustin.com: Career Networking for Introverts Blog   For the most part I’m going to let Tom serve as the career networking education section for me. His insights are going to be far more relevant than mine since they’re real world based. I can really only comment on my observations of others. Of course, you can bet that I’ll occasionally make reference to some of the posts on Tom’s blog.   One more thing. Tom IS looking for a job. Read what he has to say, and if you know of any opportunities that would be a good fit for him, then please pass that information on to Tom. Networking is about helping other people. I hope you’ll help me help Tom. He’s certainly been a great asset for me in the few short months that I’ve known him.   Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com

I had a really interesting conversation with someone I respect very much earlier this week. He's a much more experienced father than I, and we were talking about raising kids. He told me that'd he'd recently read that as much as we try and teach our kids right and wrong and help them make good decisions we don't necessarily have as much of an impact as we would hope. In fact, the single thing that has the biggest impact on kids as they grow up is their peer group. Talk about an 'aha' moment. This is not just true when we're kids, but throughout our lives. I thought back through my own history and upbringing, and know this has been absolutely consistent throughout my life. In the periods of my life where I made poor decisions and did rather stupid things I was ALWAYS with other kids who regularly acted this way. At the times that I was at my best I was closest to others who were at the top of their game as well. The more I think about it the more I realize how much of an impact this has at any stage of our lives. No wonder the stereotype of folks in nursing homes is that of bitter, cranky old people. That's what they're around. I'm sure I've read it several times before, I just can't recall where, that we will become just like the people we're closest to. If we're aware of how significant of an impact our peer group has on us we can make this concept of proximity work in our favor. Your networking efforts will give you a chance to meet some very successful people, and probably a lot of not so successful people. Surround yourself with those who are successful. If you're new to business and/or networking don't surround yourself with people who are down on themselves, their abilities, and their prospects. Otherwise you will become them. Surround yourself with success and you will become successful. Over the last few months I've made a very conscious effort to surround myself with doers. People who don't stand around talking about what should be done. Rather, people who go out and get things done. These are the networkers who do what they say they're going to do, are where they say they're going to be, and are always committed for the long haul. Think about your current peer group. Who are the 6 or 8 people that you spend the most time with. If you were like them would that be ok? If so, congratulations! You're primed for success. If not it might be time to re-evaluate who you are letting influence you whether your conscious of it or not. Happy networking! Scott IngramNetworkInAustin.com

Networking is not just an activity for extroverts. Several conversations I've had in the last couple of weeks have led me to believe that in many ways introverts are naturally wired to be better networkers. In too many ways networking has a negative connotation. This reputation is often propagated by what I frequently call "card sharks." These bad networkers dash through networking events trying to hand out as many of their own business cards as possible, and show no interest in anyone they hand their card to. In addition there's the introverts worst nightmare. Having to walk up to a group of strangers to try and join a conversation. That's a prospect that's often difficult for extroverts as well. How can the introverted networkers adapt and become effective networkers? If you've been reading my blog for any period of time you know that I say over and over again that networking is about relationships and people. If you break that down even further you'll see that it's about individuals. This is where the introverts excel! Introverts posses the natural talent of being at a large event and focusing only on the individual they’re speaking with. For them this is the most comfortable space. Since they often are most comfortable in small groups of close friends, or one on one they are great at building stronger relationships with the individual. If you yourself are an introvert you probably see the value of networking. Embrace it! Don’t shy away from it because of the large groups and the overwhelming number of extroverts. Simply apply your unique style to networking and it will pay off. At large events just look for others who are standing alone. They probably feel the same way you do. You’ll be able to make an instant connection. Work on individual relationships and don’t limit yourself in thinking that networking is only about mixers and luncheons. You can also network with your co-workers, counterparts with other companies, and just about anyone else by getting together with them individually. The introverts that I’ve spoken with over the last couple of weeks enjoy nothing more than a comfortable one on one interaction with someone over a cup of coffee. Happy networking!   Scott Ingram NetworkInAustin.com