The old saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” stills rings true, but what has changed today are the ways in which you can make new professional connections. Your clients might just find their next informational interview source or job connection through one of these sites.
Ten Thousand Coffees
Ten Thousand Coffees connects employees with peers based on their role, career goals and professional interests. Through its Workplace partnership, users who are a part of a Workplace group can opt in to receive messages suggesting matches within their company, allowing them to benefit from mentoring and networking opportunities.
Of course you’re familiar with LinkedIn. But do you know about LinkedIn features such as Find Nearby, which helps you find other LinkedIn users in your proximity when you are attending a networking event? (Privacy concerns? Don’t worry – you have to opt in.) How about the LinkedIn QR code, which lets you scan a QR code on a person’s LinkedIn mobile app to connect with them?
Meetup
You might think of Meetup as a handy way to find a book club or ultimate Frisbee team in your neighbourhood. But if you go to the “Career & Business” section and search for events in your area, you’ll likely find people to connect with in your industry – or ones you’re looking to explore. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can always set up your own group.
Business Network International
BNI has more than 233,000 members in over 8,399 chapters worldwide, including members in Canada from B.C. to Newfoundland. The website shows where you can find different chapters, how many members they have and provides a link to their website.
Creative Connect
From the Nia Centre for the Arts, Creative Connect is a professional development project for youth, early career artists and creatives seeking capacity building and career building opportunities in the creative sector and beyond. The project utilizes a customized approach to the development of mentorship opportunities through workshops, networking events, coffee meet-ups, and one-on-one mentorship matching.
Did we miss something? Leave a comment below or send us a note at careerwise@ceric.ca if you have information that can help make our article even better.
