After the event: Professor Zaenger

On Wednesday I was invited to speak to a PR class at Seattle University.

A combination of about 20 sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in everything from business to English listened as I explained how professional networking is a lot like corporate campaign development.

Here were my three steps in program development/professional networking:

1. Planning (Research & organization)

I explained that on a broad level planning means figuring out what industry is most important to you. Tactically, however, research and organization means completing your due diligence. Before a job seeker can even begin sending out cover letters, he or she must find basic company information and contacts and create a progress table listing:

• Companies I want to work at
• Companies I've spoken to (interned, informational interviews)
• Companies I need to speak to
• Companies I've applied at

I recommended creating a 'little black book' of admirable organizations and admirable people. For each entry, the job seeker documents what is known about the company and/or individual- past, present and future.

2. Implementation (Network, informational interview, Twitter, Internship)

I explained that implementation on an individual level lets people know you exist. Job seekers need to have experience- volunteer or paid- to demonstrate to potential employers that you have the capacity to work hard and learn quickly. The best way to find any work opportunity is by Tweeting, interviewing (others) and networking.

An easy first step is by listening through Twitter. Individuals can learn a lot about what industry leaders are saying and considering just by following the links that people post. There are helpful discussions like #hcsm and #journchat for professionals who want to connect with others in a particular area of interest. Once you find the professionals, attend a local Tweetup to meet face-to-face.

Informational interviews are the most valuable face-to-face time you can spend with professionals. Divide your 30-minutes (no more than that) into three areas: asking about the professional's background, asking about the company they work for, and asking about the industry as a whole. Always inquire about how you should be preparing for your career today.

Join local associations or social networks (like Biznik) and attend events. To me, this is 'invested networking' because you learn from a presentor and get to mingle with professionals interested in the same topics you are.

3. Evaluation (Follow up. Forever.)

I explained that following up doesn't mean just one thank you a day later, but rather relationship development on a quarterly basis. Follow your contact's business in the media and congratulate him/her when something good happens, subscribe to their corporate newsletter and then comment, recognize holidays, events and occasions. At the very least send contacts a status report on your search.

As it turns out, I love teaching adults. The class was a blast and I learned a lot from the experience. I may not be a networking expert, but I was happy to share the tactics I use.

My new social media policy

All social networks are not created equal.

I believe Facebook is for real-life friends (who you've met), LinkedIn is for professional contacts, and Twitter is to learn from the world (as much of it as you want). Determining who your blog audience is takes a whole different set of priorities. This blog, for instance, seeks to address family members and potential employers under the umbrella that life is full of learning experiences.

I created my Facebook profile in 2005. Back then, you checked each of your friend's pages individually on a daily basis to see if they had uploaded pictures. You viewed your own profile to see if anyone had written a comment on your wall. Life was simple.

After graduation, I said goodbye to Facebook. I naively assumed that the platform was for college kids who wanted to chat with one another with the world watching. Since I was all grown up, I decided it was time for a LinkedIn profile. On LinkedIn, I could stay in touch with my professors, mentors and employers.

Then I left the country for two years.

Much to my surprise, America greeted me in 2008 with people all a-twitter over microblogging. Even more shocking was the fact that my friend's parents were inviting me to be their Facebook friends.

Wait. What did professional adults have to do with Facebook? Afterall, the last Facebook group I joined in school was based on how many Chipotle burritos I could eat in one sitting. Facebook reminded me of my friend's birthdays, promoted my favorite movies, and hosted last weekend's photos in creatively titled albums.

Today, I think Facebook is out of control. I have invitations to: receive 'flair', find my look-alike, and create a pet society. Sure, there are invitations to support causes, but they're lost in all the ridiculous applications and clutter fed into my homepage.

Last week I thought about establishing my own befriending policy on Facebook. I think that a week is an appropriate amount of time to worry about a social media identity. That policy is at the begining of this post. I'm sorry if you met me at a PRSA networking event and want to see my photos from childhood. You belong in my LinkedIn network. I'm sorry if you were my friend at Thomas Worthington and we haven't seen one another in a professional setting in 5 years. You belong on Facebook.

There will come a day when all these networks will figure out how to play nicely with one another. Until then, lets chat on Twitter.

From Peace Corps to Web 2.0

Peace Corps trainees learn community mapping as a Participatory Assessment for Community Action tool early in our service.  The PACA tools are meant to equip volunteers for project design and implementation in our communities.  The process of community mapping is a basic way for us to gather a group of interested citizens and find out what places they visit most, see often or care about in their daily lives.  By literally drawing a map of the community, it becomes clear what areas are important and what most people don't even bother to notice.  Volunteers use these maps to learn about where the best location for a new public playground; others to recognize what buildings need renovation.  

I was reminded of the PACA process today while reading an article posted on the Fast Company Web site by Allyson Kapin.  Ms. Kapin interviewed eight social media experts on where they saw Web 2.0 changing in 2009.  One expert, Rebecca Moore, the director of outreach for GoogleEarth, discussed the process of collaborative mapping and it's influence in Web 2.0 in 2009.  

"In terms of social media, I think we are just at the beginning of 'collaborative mapping'-people working together with friends and colleagues to build shared maps of places they care about."

She goes on to describe Appalachian Voices, a grassroots environmental organization, and how it paired social media with mapping to advocate for the end of mountaintop-removal coal mining.  

What a great hope for the future of social media!  The combination of an old Peace Corps community assessment method in the developing world and the new technology of developed nations will impact how organizations operate in 2009. 

Sometimes returned volunteers are asked about how their service transfers in to the way we do business in America.  The answer is always clear for me, but was reinforced by Ms. Moore in today's Fast Company article.  The Peace Corps teaches project design through community engagement.  It's not a foreign concept to realize that the most successful work is done when people with resources-or products or services- collaborate with their target constituents.