Just like any good marketing plan there are multiple channels, so don’t forget about good old-fashioned in-person networking. Some people are great at this— others hate it. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. A great book to read on how one person has taken networking to another level is Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi, former CMO of Starwood and Deloitte.

Knowing it does take time to build your network, the traditional methods that most of practice regularly are a necessity. We are all trying to build our network, but not as many talk about strengthening it. Our personal networks may be huge, but if they are not strong there is little power in them. One way to strengthen them is to become more involved. Choose at least three groups where the membership reflects your industry or discipline. Here are a few suggestions:

www.mengonline.com Marketing Executive Networking Group 

 www.prsa.org Public Relations Society of America

www.adclub.org Boston Ad Club

www.nedma.com New England Direct Marketing Association

www.bostonproducts.org Boston Product Management Association

www.mitx.org Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange

There are countless others out there that will serve the specific needs of your industry and discipline. Identifying the right group and joining is the easy part, really strengthening your network is where the challenge comes in. In order to do that, you have to do more than just attend events. Join committees or even the board. This provides more long-lasting connections and more importantly, people get to see you in action.

The reality of the current job market has changed the behavior of companies that are hiring. Most won't post jobs or advertise but instead rely on word of mouth and more specifically, personal recommendations. Strengthening your network by working with your group will provide a differentiator from the rest of the members who are showing up to the events but relying solely on the elevator pitch to get them a job referral.

Remember, build and strengthen...

Matt