Gallery: October Casual Networking Event

On Wednesday, we got together at Park Restaurant & Bar in Harvard Square for our monthly casual  networking, and it was a lively and informative evening, as always.

Join us next time! We'll be back in Boston on November 12, 6 p.m., at Back Bay Social Club.

Casual Networking This Wednesday!

Join us for our next Casual Networking Event this Wednesday!

Wednesday, October 8
6–8 p.m.
Park Restaurant & Bar
59 JFK Street in Cambridge

CNE Dispatch: First Casual Networking Event of the Fall

After a summer of mostly going without structured networking opportunities, our monthly Casual Networking Events returned for the fall season last Wednesday. Established and up-and-coming bookbuilders (and a few in between) met at Back Bay Social Club in Boston to talk about all things book and ebook publishing, as well as office and freelance life. There was, of course, a healthy amount of business-card swapping, too.

With this bunch of people, it's easy to find things to talk about. I, myself, had some lively discussions about the subject areas I work in, and I particularly enjoyed catching up with two former interns; introducing them to each other; and then talking at length about our different experiences with job hunting, career planning, and a lot more. And the conversations going on throughout the evening were similarly productive: I caught the tail end of my bookbuilder-friend's mini-coaching session on impostor syndrome with two recent graduates turned young professionals in the industry. DRM was another relevant topic of conversation.

A number of Boston- and Cambridge-area publishers and publisher-services companies were represented, including Perseus, Aptara, the MIT Press, Artech House, and Pearson Education, plus a great bunch of freelancers who specialize in a variety of services, like editing, proofreading, indexing, and project management. Students, too! All are welcome.

Casual Networking Events take place on the second Wednesday of each month, and the location alternates between Boston and Cambridge. The next event is Wednesday, October 8, at Park Restaurant & Bar in Cambridge, 6–8 p.m.

First Casual Networking Event of the Fall is This Wednesday!

Are you ready for Bookbuilders of Boston's new year of monthly Causal Networking Events?

Come join your fellow publishing professionals (and meet new ones):

Wednesday, September 10th
Back Bay Social Club
867 Boylston Street
6-8 p.m. 

Casual networking events are informal meetings with no agenda or cover charge — only a chance to network and have fun. Networking isn’t limited to when you need a job. Meeting people in the industry can improve your knowledge as well as your prospects.

If you haven’t attended one before, we encourage you to try it. Casual networking events are free and open to everyone. Tell us you're coming: RSVP.

October CNE in Harvard Square

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?

Casual Networking Musings, 2/9/11.

I have some stationery that depicts two fifties-style ladies chatting, and the tagline reads, "We're not gossiping; we're networking." The image made me think about the various social objectives reached by networking, which is often cast as a means to directly advance career goals.

We know from testimonials that Bookbuilders Casual Networking events have allowed participants to make new job and vendor contacts, and I find that I learn a lot about how some larger companies operate in this candid setting (that piece probably looks like gossiping to the untrained eye). This past Wednesday night, I discovered what was for me a new benefit of networking--I'll call it "re-telling the story."

A common encounter at these events is between two strangers. "What do you do?" is the first question, followed almost always by some version of "How do you like what you do?" In this setting of professionals doing similar work, the "what do you do" question can be answered in somewhat more detail than it would be at, say, a cocktail party or family gathering. The answer may be more thoughtful and less rehearsed than the speaker would supply elsewhere. If the speaker is unemployed, the answer will include some details that point to the type of work desired, or a description of past work.

In either case, I think that something interesting can happen in this supportive but neutral atmosphere of others with related experience.  For the first time in perhaps a while, the networker describes his or her daily experience out loud, in some detail. The process of doing this sometimes informs the answer to the next question: "How do you like what you do?" The audience is still, at this point, fairly anonymous, but also equipped to discuss some of the finer points of creativity vs. rote production, or management vs. direct contribution to an enterprise. In the re-telling of his or her story, the speaker may discover or formulate a new perspective on career goals. Conveniently, there is often a qualified sounding board on the other side of the conversation, with different experience (and maybe leads) to take it further. In any case, the speaker has the basis for a story to re-tell to others that very night, perhaps revised again with new insight.

Do you agree? What have your experiences been at Casual Networking Events? If you haven't been, please join us on March 9 at Vlora Restaurant to draw your own philosophical conclusions.