Networking: The missing college lecture.

1. Networking:The missing college lecture. Matt Genovesedoor64.com

2. Help: About • 11 year resident of Austin, Texas • Functional verification engineer at a “major semiconductor company” • Education: • B.S. Computer EngineeringRochester Institute of Technology (RIT) • M.S. Electrical EngineeringUniversity of Texas at Austin (that other school) • Started door64.com in August 2007 to help Central Texas technology professionals network with their industry peers.

3. Why am I speaking about this? • …because networking is vital to your career. • …because most engineers don’t do it(on purpose). • …because you don’t know what you don’t know.

4. The Basics

5. Definition: Networking • From Entrepreneur.com, “Developing and using contacts made in business for purposes beyond the reason for the initial contact.” • From me, • Meeting new people, reconnecting with existing contacts. • Understanding how you can help them. • Forging relationships.

6. Types of networking • Referral networking • More structured, with restricted attendance to avoid competition, therefore smaller. • E.g. one person from each industry • Paid membership • Attendees trade names of potential clients. • Client / General networking • Less structured, more informal • Meet and greet, open to potential business connections • The “happy hour” networking events

7. Types of networking • Peer / Career networking • Meaningful connections amongst industry colleagues. • Network expansion  new career possibilities • Possibility for new clients • More in common  possible deeper connections • May be restricted to add value to attendees. • door64.com

8. Types of networkers • Servant vs. self-servant • Close to “Listener vs. talker” • Genuine vs. facade • Approachable vs. aloof or pushy

9. Why? • This is not your father’s Oldsmobile. “Jobs: They don’t make’em like the used to.” • Horizon expansion. • “You never know” principle. • Entrepreneur community.

10. When to start? • Break the divide between academia and industry. • Be selective where you spend your time.

11. Ingredients: What you will need. • Business cards • Roll your own “free” via Vista Print (Google it) • Bring some with you at all times (wallet, purse). • Pen • Write notes on back of business cards • Business casual dress is standard. • Go with (or plan to meet) a friend. • Smile. :-)

12. Aside: Business cards • Don’t bother with address, city, state, zip, all phone numbers, etc. • This is how the person will remember you. What do you want them to know? • Contact: E-mail, mobile phone. • Consider LinkedIn public profile URL, Twitter URL, professional blog URL, etc. • Few words about you. Don’t pontificate.

13. OK, you’re there… What now? • Remember: • Servant, genuine, approachable. • People are there to meet other people, so introductions are easy and expected. • Ask questions, listen. Think about what the person is saying. • Focus on making a connection, not a deal. • Exchange business cards if makes sense.

14. Follow-up Hi Bob, This is Matt Genovese from the Austin Tech Happy Hour last night. It was a pleasure to meet you last night, and I enjoyed chatting about [whatever]. I understand where you’re coming from regarding…[blah] I’ll look forward to running into you again, perhaps at the next happy hour. Until then, feel free to shoot me an email if you’d like to meet for lunch sometime to chat more about [blah]. Have a good morning! Cheers, Matt http://door64.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/mgenovese • Important to follow-up next day by email. • Light-hearted, personal • Friendly • Use jotted down notes, esp. for anything you said you could help with. • LinkedIn profile link allows for research and potential connection.

15. Tools: LinkedIn

16. About: LinkedIn.com • 24 million members • Professional focus • Culture of helping one another (servant attitude) • Little spam compared to other sites

17. LinkedIn benefits • Rolodex replacement • Profile as a resume • “Recommendations available upon request.” • Network expansion

18. Your profile • Summarize yourself • Accentuate strengths and uniqueness • How are you different than 24M other people? • Be humble: Don’t pontificate or use overused buzzwords • NO THIRD-PERSON BIOGRAPHY • List all relevant jobs • What you did, accomplishments. • Be succinct, and don’t overstate • Remember to list awards, publications • Your profile can/should be a resume-replacement

19. More about your profile • Public profile URL on paper resume • Links to blogs, Twitter, etc. • Use applications: presentations, papers. • Google ranking  your identity

20. Connections • Connect with people you know. • What does “know” mean? • Ask for recommendations where appropriate, but don’t collect them. • …and reciprocate • On “LIONS” / Open-networkers…

21. Answers: Expand your network • Window shopping first. • Answering a question • Read other responses first • Respond kindly (as if your mom asked the question) • Asking a question • Look for similar questions first • Avoiding “stupid questions” • Stirring discussion versus get an answer? • Spam on LinkedIn • Descriptive title - not “Help!” • Etiquette: Respond to people, if only to thank them.

22. Groups: Getting specific • Directory of all LinkedIn groups is now free and searchable. • Find and join ones appropriate to you • Introduce yourself to the group in discussion forums. • Join in discussions (same as LinkedIn Answers). • Don’t “collect groups” - same as LIONS. • Starting your own LinkedIn group is a tremendous way to expand your network. • Look for existing groups first - try not to duplicate. • Think small and focused - leverage geography • Being the bouncer

23. Tools: door64

24. Observations and the problem Original observations: Concentrated but disconnected local technology professionals. Employers have difficulties locating qualified candidates. No technology calendar = missed development opportunities. Problem: No Community • Communities… • Have perspective (many-to-one insight) • Have culture (members invested in each other’s success) • Self-organize around expertise • Spawn economic growth • Find and inform each other of events happening locally

25. About: door64.com • Started in 2007 • 4000+ members • Goal: To enable technology professionals to build their network of peers in Central Texas. • Local focus, restricted to high-tech only • Picks up where LinkedIn leaves off. • Free

26. Features • Discussion forums • Event calendar • Job board & skill sets • Tech Map (coming soon)

27. Events • Leverage locality to network face-to-face. • 10 events held to date, company sponsored. • 150-700 people each.

28. Discussion forums Community members discuss contemporary issues relevant to Central Texas technology, jobs, and entrepreneurship.

29. Job board • Job opportunities are free to post, free to answer by potential applicants. • Opportunities are restricted to high-tech, and employment with Central Texas.

30. Event calendar • Community members post high-tech events as they are discovered. • Events are most often educational or networking opportunities, such as tech happy hours, seminars, conferences, university tech events, club/user group meetings, and even new types of co-working meet-ups.

31. That’s it! Thanks! Matt Genovese door64.com matt@door64.com