Networking: a dying art?

[Brussels Slumdog]

50% Networking+ 50% Jobboards

It's a must do imo. Recession times mean contacts and not agents are more important than ever.

The problem is that there are several network sites. I don't have the time to maintain several so I just use Linkedin.
Agents that I have spoken to tend to use Jobserve as this reaches a wider
audience.
The advantage of a network site is that I could quickly inform you about a gig which I have been told about but I am either not qualified for or don't want and visa versa.
I use the network site also as a form of an address book. ie phone number
when last spoken to etc.

[XLMonkey]

It's a dark art not a dying art...

I know contractors who live off their networking skills and have done 12 month contracts without actually delivering anything. They still leave looking good to the Exec. Genius

I resemble that remark.

[XLMonkey]

I
The problem with "networking" is that it has such associations with forced conversations and trying to get something out of your contact.

agreed. the problem that most people seem to have is selfishness. They think about networking in terms of "what can I get out of this". This is absolutely the wrong attitude to start from. You need to be in the habit of thinking "how can I help the next person I meet to get/find/learn something useful for them". If you do this, then what you build is a network of people who want to return the favour.

Once you have a network of people who want to return the favour, then you are networking. Up to that point, you're just acting like a pain in the arse

[denver2k]

agreed. the problem that most people seem to have is selfishness. They think about networking in terms of "what can I get out of this". This is absolutely the wrong attitude to start from. You need to be in the habit of thinking "how can I help the next person I meet to get/find/learn something useful for them". If you do this, then what you build is a network of people who want to return the favour.

Once you have a network of people who want to return the favour, then you are networking. Up to that point, you're just acting like a pain in the arse

Agreed

Up to that point, you're just acting like a pain in the arse

Cant agree more