Making the Most out of FOAF Networks? 45
BFF? asks: "With the rising popularity of online FOAF (Friend of a Friend) networks such as Orkut, Friendster and Linked-In I was wondering if and how people are using these networks to help their career along. Are these social networks just for vanity's sake or are they actually useful when job-hunting?"
FQ (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:FQ (Score:0)
Because there isn't a category for "Stupid crap nobody cares about"
Re:FQ (Score:0)
Judging by past stories of the same category, this should have been an "Ask Slashdot"
Re:FQ (Score:1)
Re:FQ (Score:0)
Re:FQ (Score:2, Funny)
Same question I always have... (Score:0)
Whaddaya mean, can a network be anything other than hardware??
Huh? (Score:1, Redundant)
Re:Huh? (Score:1)
Re:Huh? (Score:0)
old-fashioned way (Score:5, Informative)
Maybe I'm just an old-timer, but in my day we'd spooge free trips to conferences from employers, and talk to other people while there.
You get double networking points if you have a booth with some interesting content and some free "gimme" crap... and triple points if you teach a seminar or give a lecture.
Another good thing to do is teach a community college class in your area of expertise... It's a good way to meet people who are in a similar profession or who will one day be there.
Also, go to every professional association meeting for one or two organizations. It's always the same people at all that crap (at least in my industry), so if you want to be identified as a "player", it's helpful to at least make an appearance at that stuff.
Possibly check out the alumni thing for your department at university (if your work is relevant to your degree)... This is a good way to meet older people in the same line of work, many of whom are quite supportive of young folks.
I'm work at a consulting shop, so this might only be applicable to some... but get as much face time with the clients as possbile, and be sure that they know you are the one to call when something needs to get done. Establish a pattern that if they have a problem, they call you, and the problem goes away. You would be amazed how easy it is to build a good reputation just by answering phone calls or email, and sending a prompt reply.
Failing all else, I'd probably try to use an internet medium to network. I was a member of allexperts.com in my specific area of technical expertise for about a year. In that year, I probably got 10 offtopic questions, and about 30 requests from college kids to help with their homework.
I've not tried any other internet things, but my supposition is that the "audience" for your profile is too generalized. You need to get your mug in front of potential employers, and that doesn't sound like a time-effective solution. Go for it if you enjoy doodling around on the internet, but I wouldn't have any great expectation of success.
Re:old-fashioned way (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, you're from the old-school when employers valued people enough to provide training. Go to a conference? Hell, I feel fortunate they let me out of my cube long enough to use the bathroom.
Now where is that red Swingline stapler, anyway?
Re:old-fashioned way (Score:2)
But yea, I've never been offered a conference. Businesses now days are more worried about profit than employee value. The company I currently work for has told people that if they don't like their job, quit and someone else will gladly step into their shoes.
Life sucks at the moment.
Get back to work. (Score:2)
Re:old-fashioned way (Score:0)
Yuck!
Maybe I'm just an old-timer, but in my day, doing that kind of thing on the job could get you fired.
I think you meant sponge.
Re:old-fashioned way (Score:2)
It's quite applicable at most places. I have zero contact with our product's end users, but I have a lot of contact with the internal users: training, service, etc. Making sure they know I'm the guy who can answer all their questions, or at least find the answer if I don't know it right away makes me the "go-to guy." That kind of visibility gets converted into good reviews (read: raises & bonus) come annual review time.
No help in my job hunting (Score:0)
Every job I've ever had... (Score:5, Informative)
I've gotten interviews and offers by looking in ad pages, but the best offers have always come from people that knew me.
People you know that find out about job openings will tell you about them before ads are placed. It helps to get your foot in the door early in the hiring process. While sifting through hundreds of qualified resumes, when someone recognizes your name, you are automatically moved to the top of the stack, or onto the shortlist. This is exactly how I got my present contract.
Re:Every job I've ever had... (Score:2)
Yes, I understand that this is the way the world works. It doesn't mean I have to like some of the sleazeball stuff that goes on around the hiring process sometimes.
Re:Every job I've ever had... (Score:2)
Sounds like the old boys (Score:3, Informative)
Its the same type of social orgranisation for a digital age , It has worked well for hundreds of years and i shouldnt see why it wont work now though i wouldnt like to pay for it , if your in the IT industry making freinds on sites like this could help , it never hurts to make freinds at work
Sounds like the old boys-Yup. (Score:0)
Is Friendster making phones now? (Score:2, Redundant)
Re:Is Friendster making phones now? (Score:3, Funny)
Keeping in Touch (Score:4, Interesting)
Don't waste your time (Score:4, Insightful)
For example, my friends list is dominated by stuff such as Old Crow whiskey, a bar, and a giant neon Citgo sign in Boston. I also have people I already know on my list, but I haven't even tried to meet people or network on Friendster, and, unless everyone I know on Friendster is different from everyone else on Friendster, nobody else is trying to, either.
FOAF networks are for Ego Stroking, Nothing More (Score:1)
That being said, I have never met more blonde sorority sisters anywhere. And they ALL ARE FRIGGIN' CLUELESS! If the college
Be forewarned though, it's more addictive than smack, crack and cigarettes combined.
Re:Don't waste your time (Score:3, Insightful)
But I wonder what Bastian thought s/he was doing by "befriending" whiskey, a bar, and a giant Citgo sign, if not wasting time?
I'm one of those people who won't be friends with someone unless I'm actually friends with them. Nor will I be friends with places, things, intangibles, etc. The concept of social networking, in and of itself, wasn't a bad thing, but the various "fakesters" et cetera basically trashed any chance of it actually being useful.
My favorite social networking site at present is Multiply [multiply.com], largely because it lets me specify how I'm connected to someone, and weights different sorts of relationships differently - "friend" is worth more than "online buddy," for example.
(Plus it's got a nice interface and lots of useful features.)
FOAF? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:FOAF? (Score:1)
There's a college one too... (Score:2)
Facebook's handy, but... (Score:2)
FOAF networks? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:FOAF networks? (Score:2)
Friend Of A Drunk?
Re:FOAF networks? (Score:2)
Ancient history (Score:2)
I haven't even logged into my Orkut account for months, basically it was incredibly slow, no one posted in any of the group forums, and the place was dominated by Brazilians who kept ignoring the "English only" groups. It not that anyone is racist, it's just nice to freaking understand 90% of you group's traffic.
Orkut (Score:2)
After I hand each one off, I remain a member for a little while, then silently drop it. It's just not worth the stress to deal with bugs they haven't fixed in over a year.
*Sigh* (Score:1, Troll)
Because vanity and work are the only two reasons for anything? Sometimes I really worry about Americans.
False dichotomy much? (Score:4, Insightful)
That's why so few comments (Score:1)
I've had good luck with LinkedIn (Score:2)
I think a lot of negative FOAF experiences come from the fact that people use them like a digital yearbook/mash book -- "Oh, I'm on such-and-such a network. Join, and we can connect!" Do that, and you end up with a pretty isolated network that's not much different from the circle of colleagues and friends you have now.
When I joined, I made an effort to find people whoL
- were geographically near me; or
- had a strong background/career connection.
I'd ususally introduce myself to these people with something along the lines of "I don't know if all the benefits LinkedIn talks about are true, but I do know that we have some things in common and it might be beneficial to swap some e-mail." No pitching myself as a consultant or employee. No hard sell. And no touting the value of "linking our networks." After all, the person you're contacting probably doesn't know you from Adam -- why should he or she care about your network?Mind you, it helps if you can write a polite, light, maybe slightly humorous email; as with so many aspects of the internet, it's not the meek but the communicators who will inherit the earth.
I've met good friends, current clients and connections who have led to projects. Hard to complain about something that produces results and costs nothing!
duh obvious.. (Score:1, Interesting)
myspace music (Score:3, Informative)
Ryze (Score:1)
Some of those sites are useful (Score:0)