I achieved a career milestone yesterday, my first talk at a professional conference. It went well. I channeled my nervous energy into enthusiasm. I shared anecdotes and metaphors and slides with more pictures than words. I saw myself quoted on Twitter and even had a few people tell me mine was their favorite session of the day. You wouldn't have guessed I was a rookie, unless you saw me photographing my badge.
So, how did I achieve this milestone? Two words... Or maybe it's one. LinkedIn.
I started using LinkedIn in earnest five years ago, when I was looking for a job halfway across the country. I wrote a detailed profile, joined a few groups, and connected with some strangers whose interests aligned with mine. It was on LinkedIn that I first spotted the posting that I called "the big bank job."
Nowadays, pretty much everyone knows that LinkedIn is helpful for job hunters. What I didn't know is how valuable it can be when you're happily employed.
I work in Internal Communications. We're a small team at a big company, and it's easy to feel like outliers, writers among bankers. But every time I go to a conference, I remember that we're not unique. Every big company has people like us. We tend to be alike: English majors, ex-journalists, storytellers who found a creative outlet in a corporate landscape. On our best days, we help bank tellers and cube dwellers feel connected to the company's culture and values. We have strong opinions on Oxford commas, Sharepoint, and most-hated corporate buzzwords (yes, no, and utilize).
We're all trying to solve the same problems. Why shouldn't we learn from each other? It's a non-competitive space. Customers don't see our internal communications. Employees don't study our intranet, compare it to a competitor's, and then choose to take their talent to the company with the prettier corporate news page.
That's how I met Jane, a French consultant researching digital workplaces. She asked interesting questions; I answered them. She asked to quote me in her report; I got the proper permissions from my employer and said Yes. She invited me to Washington, DC to speak at this conference with her.
Last night, sitting around a dinner table with Jane and a dozen like-minded professionals from around the world, I remembered that there's a unique energy to in-person networking, an honesty and connection that flows from a bottle of wine and a shared passion for the work you do. Those connections can take shape online. They start with openness, curiosity, and intellectual generosity.
I'm writing this blog so perhaps it will inspire someone else to put him or herself out there. If you ever feel isolated in your job, you're not. If you wonder whether you can grow your career without changing jobs, you can.
Here are my tips for finding authentic connections online: Show up. Join groups. Be more kind than necessary. Listen to people before you speak to them. Add value. If people around you are being self serving and dull, fill the space with what is needed and be the person you would like to meet. Always, always show gratitude for those who help you along the way.
