by Ashley Andrus

If you’re like most people, you finished that saying with, “…it’s WHO you know.”

That was true for a long time…but in the age of online social networking, it’s more accurate to say, “It’s not who YOU know, it’s who THEY know.” More than ever before, the internet makes it easy to access the networks and circles of influence of the people you know.

As networking expert Sarah Michel explains the equation in today’s market: The value of others + the value you bring to others = your netWORTH (™) . In this economic climate of free-falling 401(k) values, your network has become quite literally your netWORTH (™) . Are you putting social networking tools—especially LinkedIn and Twitter—to work for you?

There’s a catch, though. Too many people forget about the second variable in that equation (the value you bring to others) and focus exclusively on the first (what’s in it for me?) REAL WORLD TIP: The people you’re reaching out to don’t care what’s in it for you—they care about what’s in it for THEM.

Some quick tips on maximizing your efforts so your equation is balanced: 

THE GOOD:

• Success in HR outlines “15 Amazing, Sneaky Little Ways To Use LinkedIn to Advance Your HR Career”. Their pointers don’t apply just to HR folks. Anyone hunting for a job (especially a professional services-type position) will benefit from following these strategies.
• For tips on getting your LinkedIn profile in tip-top shape, see this overview from Mike O’Neill at Integrated Alliances (IA), an expert in maximizing your LinkedIn presence. Need more help? IA has a full step-by-step guide you can purchase here.
• For Twitter, see this About.com overview of resources for job seekers within Twitter. Remember that Twitter is also an excellent place to establish your expertise on whatever it is you happen to be an expert on.
• Whether online or in person, do some research upfront, tap into your network, and find ways to bring value to whomever you’re reaching out to or interviewing with. Success story shared by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce: A guy goes in to a job interview—and he brings a possible sales lead for that company. He wasn’t applying for a job in sales; however, he demonstrated that he can bring value from the first moment he walked in the door. He got the job.

THE BAD:

• “I” is one of the most common words in the English language, but fight that urge–remember not to be “all about me”. I met a woman in transition recently at a networking function. When I asked how I might be able to help, she asked me if I would send a blast to all of my LinkedIn contacts about her. Less than 5 minutes after meeting me. Hmmm….let me think….no.

THE UGLY:

• Remember that once you put something out onto the Internet, it’s there for posterity. Posterity is another word for “forever”. That offhand comment, rant, or slam could come back to haunt you later. See ResumeBear’s “30 Ways to Lose Your Job on Twitter” for some real-world cautionary tales. (Thanks to @noraburns for tweeting that link!)

Even if you aren’t looking for a job right now, these same principles apply for using LinkedIn and Twitter for sales, business networking, and other applications…including building up relationships for when you DO need your next job!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a workshop! Opportunities abound, and here are two resources:

• Nora Burns will be offering “Twitter 101” at the Denver Jobing offices on May 4th and June 19th. Details in the blog post here.
• For LinkedIn, see the list of upcoming webinars and workshops with Integrated Alliances here.

Web 2.0 isn’t going away. Google is here to stay. Jump on that bandwagon and put “the folks who THEY know” to work for you!

Ashley Andrus is President of Zoe Training & Consulting. Her passion is making HR folks and meeting planners look like *rock stars* by providing one-stop access to 90+ speakers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, and consultants.

by Gina Schreck

In the past 7 days, I have Linked In with 23 people, written on my daughter’s Face Book wall, sent 3 Jott messages to myself (my memory isn’t as good as it used to be), and read at least 12 Jott messages from our daughter’s soccer coach, who uses it constantly to send broadcast messages out to the parents and girls. I set up a new Ning network to check it out and see what that has to offer after reading an article in Fast Company. I have attended 3 different meetings in Second Life with my avatar, where I met two new business contacts on our island, and even “followed” my husband’s appointment activities using Twitter.

In that same week, I listened to 3 podcasts on different business topics, took some short video footage of my daughter’s winning football toss at field day using my Flip Video camcorder (where, by the way, she whooped all the boys), and then loaded them onto YouTube so her friends could watch them. I constantly use the Bluetooth connection in my car to talk on my cell phone, and can’t live without “Gloria,” my GPS (Gloria Petunia Schreck is the name my daughters gave her), to find me the closest Starbucks!

At Synapse 3Di, not only am I one of the founders, but I am the DIGITAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER. My job is to help those of us over the age of 35 immigrate into this foreign land of digital technology. While I have accounts and profiles at all of these places and I am more connected than a person really has a need for, I do not consider myself a “hyperconnected” individual. I check my email and text messages throughout the day, but check in on most of the other accounts perhaps 3 or 4 times a week. But look at those 20-somethings in our work environments or in our homes: they are connected 24/7—at work, home, restaurants, everywhere. They are hyperconnected!

In a recent study conducted by IDC (International Data Corporation), 2,400 working adults in 17 countries were polled. The results showed 16 percent were using 9 or more products/objects/technogadgets to stay connected, and on those gadgets they were running more than 20 applications. That’s Hyperconnectivity! Right behind the Hyperconnected were those who used 5 or more gadgets and ran at least 10 applications. They are the “increasingly connected.”

What does all this mean? How will this change our world? Well, first it’s important to realize that our world is always changing. Technology is not going away, and as the American social writer, Eric Hoffer, beautifully put it, “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” It is time to wake up and smell your old hard drive burning!

Because I am asked to speak on today’s technology and how we can use it to share knowledge, collaborate, and build relationships in a global environment, I often hear from “digital immigrants” (those over the age of 35) that it is all so overwhelming. It can be if you think you must use everything.

Here are four keys to successfully immigrating into this digital landscape:

• Keep a spirit of adventure
  See this as continuing education and be open and willing to try new technology. See if it fits into your world. Talk to others about how they are using this tool and look for success stories. You can usually find others around you who will complain right along with you and assure you that there is no need for advancement in technology. Just hand them two sticks and let them build a bonfire alone. Find those who are successfully implementing and using new technology.
• Find a mentor under the age of 25
  If you are like most people, you hang around people your own age, and if you are a digital immigrant, you need to find a digital native to take you by the hand and show you the world through their eyes. Listen to how they talk. Explore how they are connecting to their friends, coworkers, and family members. Be open-minded and you will see the future through their lenses.
• Take one application per month and explore
  The best way to get in, for some, is to start at the shallow end and take one step at a time. Perhaps this month you set up a Linked In account. Spend about an hour each day (remember, this is your education) contacting old friends and coworkers, recommending some of your business associates or adding information to your profile. Next month try Face Book, Jott, or be really adventurous and attend one of our free learning sessions in Second Life. It’s not so scary when you take baby steps.
• Explore in groups
  Adventures are always more fun when done in groups. Get two or three friends or coworkers together and make it a fun learning experience. If you are setting up your avatars to attend events in Second Life, we always recommend coming in with someone else. (We have an SL Mentor group, that meets newbies “in-world” to show them around to the educational sites and give tips on using voice communication, chatting with other conference attendees, even how to sit or change your avatar’s appearance. It’s a great adventure when you can fly around, learning and exploring with a personal guide.) Just as people form networking groups to learn about investing and other financial strategies, groups are popping up everywhere for people who are exploring the new digital world.

Two years ago, I sat at a table in Bangalore, India, with a training director form Ireland, two managers from India, and my husband (who is also my business partner) from the US. We were getting ready to develop and roll out a program dealing with leading virtual teams, using live learning events, workbooks, and lots of webinars and conference calls. Today that same initial meeting can take place in our Synapse 3Di Second Life campus, saving thousands of dollars and many hours of travel, and still get to sit around a table, laughing, talking, and building relationships. Programs are now incorporating engaging multimedia tools and virtual team building events that are actually allowing participants to learn from one another, share successes, and receive small group coaching.

“Beep-Beep-Beep”— I just got a text message from the client I was meeting at 2:00. She wants to know if we can make it 2:30, since she is running behind. Ahh, I now have time for a cup of coffee! It is a beautifully hyperconnected world!

2008© Gina Schreck is the Co-Founder and Digital Immigration Officer at Synapse 3Di. She speaks and writes on using today’s technology. Synapse 3Di connects experts to organizations using mixed media—live events, podcasts, blog content and exciting Second Life learning events.