My definition of friend is very old-fashioned. Does receiving a friend request on Facebook necessarily mean that the person wants to be your friend? When Facebook suggests “People you may know” and someone simply thinks “Maybe I can add one more person to my growing friends list”, should you add that person? Do you accept or ignore? However, keep in mind that you may not want to break someone’s delicate heart by clicking the Delete button.
Robin Dunbar, an anthropologist and evolutionary biologist, proposed a number that he believes represents the upper limit of the rich human relationships that any one person can sustain. The number is 150. He got this figure by looking at the size of the social networks that other primates maintain and relating that number to the size of the brain. He then extrapolated out to human brain mass. Dunbar claims that the more friends he has beyond their number, the less likely he is to know much about them. This might not actually be true with Facebook, as Facebook friends include acquaintances, classmates, peers, friends, co-workers, mentors, and authority figures. Although I’m not a big fan of the general Facebook environment, but the best thing about “likes” is that you can have your own community page. One can get addicted to gathering likes where others can express an opinion simply by clicking a button.
LinkedIn is more of a database of professional networks than a social networking platform. A ‘connection’ on LinkedIn is very different from a ‘friend’ on Facebook. These people are part of your network. LinkedIn warns against adding complete strangers to your network or accepting an invite from someone with whom you don’t have a trusting relationship.
Google Circles are the various groups into which you can organize your connections and segment your life. Once you’ve set them up and filled out, you can choose which circles can see the things you share. For example, you may have a circle of friends, colleagues, and family members.
Twitter is a platform for following people, topics, and companies that you don’t have to know personally. Followers receive your Tweets. If someone follows you, they’ll see your Tweets on their Tweet timeline, on their phone, or in any third-party apps they use.
These virtual friends like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter and others decide our online reputation. Any of these can also be used for professional networking. Professional networking is the process of connecting with people in the profession to develop positive relationships. It is part of the contacts that a professional has. Professional networking focuses on the professional interactions between those contacts. Such a network can be done with people both inside and outside the organization. Networking outside of one’s own company includes networking with people in the same industry. It can also be helpful to network with people from different professions. Networking helps advance one’s career by connecting with people and learning how they have been successful. It gives the opportunity to learn from their experiences. Sharing information with people on the network creates a learning environment that helps you grow. Being in contact with smart and creative people can help you succeed.
Proper networking skills are necessary for the continued existence and success of the business or profession. Although networking does not guarantee a job, but it helps to find better paths. It also increases the quality of the business and leads to greater efficiency and stability.
Networking is all about making meaningful connections so that one can make meaningful presentations. Meeting people, listening, making connections, and gathering contact information is just one aspect of networking. Networking helps open up additional lines of communication and increases awareness about a particular career field or industry. Every contact with another person is a potential opportunity to further expand the network. It helps build a positive reputation about yourself, which can become a powerful and useful resource.
