Networking is so powerful and can make a huge impact on everything in life, whether it is just in our individual lives or in big companies and organizations. After reading the assigned reading I couldn't stop thinking about all the networks I have in my life and how I am connected to so many people. I have gotten jobs, set up on dates, and been given sports opportunities because of people I know. Everyone in life is like that. Because of the networks we have in our own lives, we are able to expand into other networks and gain opportunities that we otherwise wouldn't have.
I found it so interesting when it said, "Power does not reside in institutions, not even in the state or in large corporations. It is located in the networks that structure society." It is the things between the systems that are so powerful. It is the people that connect within the different corporations that make things so powerful.
Networking is everything. I have always heard that is about who you know, and it truly is. Especially in this day and age everyone seems to be connected in someway or another. A couple semesters ago, I was in a career class just to fill credits and it was all about networking. All we did was get to know people and meet people. For our midterm, we had to memorize everyone's name. We learned the whole semester about how important it is to know people and make those connections.
Social media is changing these networks and how we socially interact. On Facebook, you can find people because of mutual friends that you have. If you look someone up, you can find out who you both know. The person you may have thought was a stranger is actually tied to you by someone. You are in a network together. On LinkedIn, You can see how people are connected to you. It shows you who you can introduce you to somebody else. On Twitter and Instagram, you can follow whoever you want. You can become part of somebody's network. You can find out what they are doing and get their updates at anytime. It is crazy that we can all be so involved in everyone's lives and have these networks. In the past couple years they have become so much more powerful because they are so dominant on the Internet and so easy to access with tablets and smartphones. The power is with the people. What we do and what we say to the people we know is what will get us where we want to go. The more people we know, the more opportunities we are allowing ourselves. Networking is the key.
Great start. How are online networks different from the personal ones you worked so hard to make in your career's class? How more efficient? How less efficient?
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I really like how you applied it to things in your personal life. After reading your post I reflected back onto the jobs i've gotten through networks, the dates, the friendships--networks influence everything! It's pretty crazy. Again, great post, I really enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteThe connections that I have made online and in person are both beneficial but in different ways. I would say that personally the ones I made in my career class, which were in person, were on a deeper level. I got to know more about them and not just be connected virtually. I got to find out their sense of humor, their personality, and the way they held themselves.. which are all hidden (at least to a limit) behind a computer screen in social networks. But the social networks are also very good because they allow you to connect with people that you would have never connected to in the first place. You may have never found this person, but because you became connected on the Internet, you know have that link to a person. I think LinkedIn is a great way to see the benefits of online networking. How somebody can introduce you to somebody else you don't know. Although the online relationships are less efficient on getting to know who somebody really is, they allow you to connect with more people and give you a start to a relationship that could grow into something huge.
ReplyDelete