Last week's casual networking at Om was refreshing. I have been a faithful participant of these events for about a year, and in that time I have seen newcomers aquire their first jobs and freelancers build careers.
For those who question the potential of networking, think of it this way. Let's say that you would like to become employed by Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt. Or Shambhala. Would your chances of achieving this goal improve if you met someone working there already? During an interview, would you have more to talk about if you had already engaged this contact in casual conversation?
Of course, you might learn about companies or jobs that you never knew existed. If you are currently and happily employed, you might learn about new vendors, or new approaches to current industry issues (such as formatting for e-publications).
Last but not least, there is always karma. Don't forget that if you make a point to attend networking events in good times, your network will be stronger when times are not so good. And doesn't this look like a fun way to build karma points?
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