Networking is Networking…Right?
As I explain Twitter to friends (and reporters) I have been using the word networking quite a bit. Just the other day, I realized that networking has quite a different meaning for students than it does for the general Twitter population.
Networking: supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.
That might be the definition Dictionary.com gives (actually, it is), but students might ask “where is the part where I meet a bunch of professionals and they give me a job?” Students view networking as meeting enough people to find a job. Do you see the disconnect happening here?
The central idea of networking on Twitter is not about finding a job. Networking is sharing ideas, conversing about new products/ideas/services, and building relationships with people that have common interests. I saw a great tweet the other day (unfortunately I can’t remember who posted it or the exact wording):
The first people you follow on Twitter should be people you have no intentions of selling to or buying from.
This applies to corporate accounts, and personal accounts. People can tell when you want something from them. People do not like being manipulated. Networking involves a two-way convesation (sharing). Students, do not jump on Twitter and start asking for jobs (or job openings for that matter).
First, join the conversation and prove you are valuable to a community with common interests. Listen to the people that interest you. Ask questions to learn about the things that interest you or that you might need to know in a career. Do not be frustrated when nobody is jumping to give you a job based on 140 character updates that talk about your great skills and how much you need a job.
I don’t know if Twitter can get you a job…it hasn’t ever got me a job. But I plan on working in the social media strategy realm, so I better have some experience. I have searched, found, and listened to the people that can teach me about my career. I have also added my ideas. I don’t broadcast that I need a job in a month because people don’t necessarily care (not in a bad way, just that my job status is less important than Why Kids Are Not Using Twitter).
Find new people, listen, interact, add value: network.
First off, I’m glad you wrote about this. I think it’s vital for new Twitter users to understand the difference. I think the term ‘networking’ has become synonymous with ‘meeting people who will give you a job’ for students. It is difficult for young people and new Twitter users to really understand the conversation, and how to participate in it. I think, if anything, it is a start to possibly finding a job opportunity, but that should not be the goal. Connecting with professionals, and learning more about the industry is what students could truly benefit from Twitter.
I agree with your post and also with Kristen’s comment. I’m also interested to see whether or not that mindset survives as Twitter becomes more popular in the mainstream world. When thousands of teens start getting on and tweeting with their friends, it’ll be interesting to see how many of them grow and evolve with their age rather than having it just be a quicker, easier Facebook in their eyes.
The people on Twitter, for the most part, have had an industrious approach to its use (until very recently, with celebrities becoming more and more prevalent in the Twittersphere and mainstream media giving it so much coverage), so the resulting flow of new users could really alter how it’s been used in the past.
Or maybe it just means that brightly shining stars will need to shine a little brighter to be seen over the glare of the masses.
I might just pursue a career in poetry. Or clichés. I bet I can find people to network with in both areas. Go Twitter!
Also, I want a picture like Kristen’s. Not a girl one, but one of my face. Make that happen, Kristen. Thanks.