This is where discussion boards, social networking sites, and mailing lists come in. Many professionals use these communication mediums for networking, discussing recent developments in their occupation or industry and asking questions of each other. Anyone involved in a job search or career exploration can benefit from following these online, public discussions, learning about current trends and developments and the interests and concerns of those involved.
Discussion Boards are like your office water cooler. Conversations can be highly professional or very informal. Numerous web sites and online services like Vault.com offer you the opportunity to create your own virtual meeting space.
Social Networking sites are a little different in that they work the "six degrees of separation" concept to the extreme, using the Internet to turn who you are, who you know, and what you know into a monster-sized spider net of connectivity. These include services like Facebook, LinkedIn and Networking for Professionals. Some may be more casual, while others are focused on professional linkages. We have more information and a list of several of these sites on our page for Networking and Support Groups. Job-Hunt.org has terrific information on using Social Media in Your Job Search.
Mailing Lists are a long-standing communication forum heavily used in academic and research professions. While many now have web interfaces, they still operate via email, meaning you must have a personal email account to participate. To find mailing lists that might be relevant to your industry or profession, search the CataList maintained by L-Soft or Yahoo! Groups.
What Might You Find?
These many networking and discussion sites can cover a broad variety of topics and fields. Many carry occasional job postings, usually in advance of print announcements, and they are a good resource for networking contacts, industry trends, and other developments. Look for sites and services dedicated to the industry you want to target, the employer(s) that interest you, or even the community where you want to live.
Public participation in discussions is necessary to get networking contacts. You will also need to provide your own credentials at some point to make connections with others. This may include your name, current employer, a vague (yet correct) job title, and email address.
We recommend you use a free, personal email account for your networking and community discussion groups. Many employers have policies against use of their resources (i.e., email) for personal pursuits and many more monitor employee email. You can also protect your primary email account from spam and malware.
When you begin checking out these various discussion forums, it is best for you to monitor the discussions for a while after joining. Looking for information on the field or discipline. You should not participate in the discussions until you are quite comfortable with the group. Before you start actively participating, read over and memorize the rules of Networking Etiquette.