By Kay Stout
Electronic collaboration is the perfect solution when you need information and/or help from a friend or colleague. You don’t have to be in the same room, city, or country, you just need to be connected electronically. I was reminded of this when Employment-Essentials asked for my contribution. Enjoy – and stay connected electronically.
It’s true that everything that was old, soon becomes new again. In today’s job search the buzz word is “networking”. While many see it as a rather new element of the job search, like the Beatles once sang, With a Little Help from my Friends, in today’s world it is about making a connection with someone. The fun today is you can make a connection electronically, in the comfort of your home in your favorite at-home attire. Remember, if you are connected by Skype and a camera, you might even be seen ‘round the world in a less-than flattering way. Also, everything you say electronically may be transmitted by someone in such a way that it goes around the world. So think twice, type once, and hesitate awhile, before you hit the send button.
Also realize that, just as one Can’t Buy Me Love, you can’t Buy Me A Job. But you can make connections that will prove invaluable with today’s job search. And, if you stay in touch, they can prove even more valuable five to ten years from now.
There was an interesting article last fall in Forbes, profiling Sheryl Sandberg and her makeover of Facebook. Everyone wants to be connected, to network, and to reach out to family and friends but, as the article highlighted, the challenge is, how does that help from my friends translate to money for the people behind the scenes who’ve written the connections that make Facebook so much fun?
Before they become profitable, Facebook’s theme song could be A Hard Day’s Night as they grapple with the balance between connectivity and profitability. For us, it will be how much connectivity do we want and with whom??? We want help from our friends – – but not all our friends. It is going to be an interesting journey for everyone.
Kay Stout owns and operates P S Consulting, an Oklahoma City-based human resources firm offering career counseling, executive placement, and military transition services. The company specializes in consulting advice that will provide the catalyst to help their clients achieve their desired position.
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