网络

你随便拿起一本书或一篇关于职业的文章，很可能都是关于人际关系网的重要性。我认为人际关系网是非常重要的，但我从来都不喜欢那种典型的建议:参加职业活动的唯一目的就是让尽可能多的人拿到你的名片。所以，20个人有你的名片，也许你也有同样20个人的名片。现在怎么办呢?可能没有那么多。我认为真正的人际交往发生在你成为他人的一部分的时候——也就是专业团体或社会的一部分。让我给你举个例子。大约五年前，我成为了信息管理协会(SIM)的一员。SIM是一个全国性组织。我属于波士顿分会，全国最大的分会。 SIM offers a number of things for IT professionals--an annual conference, regional leadership development programs, local lunch and dinner meetings with interesting speakers, and a CIO roundtable. While I have enjoyed all the offerings of SIM, I have probably gotten the most value out of the CIO roundtables.For three years I facilitated the CIO roundtable. We get together five times a year. There are usually about 30 people at the meeting. The meeting portion lasts about 4 hours. As a group, we select the topics of the meetings. In the past year we have discussed everything from career strategies to business intelligence to emerging technologies. Following the meetings, we go out to dinner where the networking continues, sometimes late into the night. Between meetings we stay connected through an online group.Through my involvement with SIM, I have developed a strong network of about 60 people. We share job listings, work challenges and solutions, and lots of laughs about the nuances of working in the IT field. I know that if I need help with anything, I can call on any of my SIM colleagues and they can call on me. This is an example of a true network.I haven't met a successful person yet who didn't get help along the way in their career. A network made up of professionals in your field is one way to get this kind of help. Joining an organization such as SIM is a great way to get started in building your network