This presentation takes a look at the benefits of online networking and how it can advance your professional career

1. Melanie Kloosterman

2. Learning Goals
 What are the best
professional online
networking platforms?
 What are the advantages
of successful online
networking?
 What are the ways to
become a successful
networker?

3. I like to say that Twitter is like a bar, Facebook is
your living room and LinkedIn is the local
chamber of commerce

4.  LinkedIn is the largest professional
networking site with over 225 million
users
 In the “answer” section have
experienced professionals express their
opinions, helping you make corrective
decisions for your career
 Find your dream job; everyday there are
job postings where companies are hiring
Stay Informed Find people & knowledge Control your professional identity

5. Market yourself Find useful contacts & work projects Find your dream job
 A professional social networking site
created in Germany in 2003
 Has over 13 million members
 The way the site works is very similar to
LinkedIn
 It displays how each member is
connected to any other member,
creating a “small-world” effect

6.  The largest social networking site with
1.11 billion users
 Targeted to everyday users, not as a
professional networking site
 Is a great way to build your personal
network
 A great way to advertise your business
and reach millions of people
Social networking giant Connects people Advertise your business

7. It’s not what you know, but who you know

8. Business Leads
Networking is a great
way to obtain new
business leads. Using
the contacts you make
can open up new
business opportunities
Career Opportunities
Networking can expose
you to jobs that are not
posted online. In fact,
approximately 70% of
jobs obtained are
through networking

9. Personal Opportunities
Networking can build
relationships that can be
helpful for everyday life.
For example, you can use
your network to find a
mechanic to fix your car
Identify Best Practices
Networking is a great way
to identify business
practices and industry
benchmarks. By learning
from what others do is a
valuable business strategy

10. New Business Trends
Networking can help you
stay ahead on
technology and business
trends. This can give you
an advantage over your
competition by applying
new and fresh ways of
doing things
All of these benefits can help you advance
your career!

11. You are what you share

12.  Create an up-to-date profile.
While looking for a job you
would never have an
incomplete resume.
Therefore, keeping a current
up-to-date profile is
important to attracting new
contacts
 Ensure your profile has a
professional picture. A
quality headshot and
appropriate work attire is
best
 Get recommendations.
Recommendations provide
confirmation of your
experience/skills and
increase your chances of
being contacted by
recruiters

13.  Don’t air your dirty
laundry. Keep your
complaints about
companies or individuals
off social networking sites.
Once it is out there, you
cannot take it back. Keep
all your posts professional
 And most importantly,
business networking is
about what you can do for
others. Building a good
rapport is only beneficial.
Without fail, what goes
around comes around

14. Conclusion
With the explosion of social
media, the importance of online
networking is greater than ever
before. There are many platforms
available to users, but LinkedIn
and Xing are geared towards
building a professional network.
There are numerous advantages
such as gaining business leads or
career opportunities. It is essential
to keep your profile up-to-date
and only post professional content
to receive the full benefits that
online networking can offer. As
you can see, successful online
networking has a correlation with
career advancement. So, get
socializing!

15. References
 Buddy, Entreprenuer. Entreprenuer Buddy. 26 April 2011.
 connaughtexec. Online Professional Networking. n.d.
 Forbes. How to Network Like a Pro Online. 09 August
2007.
 Heathfield, Susan M. About.com: Human Resources. n.d.
 LinkedIn. LinkedIn. 2013.
 Networking Today. A guide for business professionals and
college graduates. n.d.
 The Thriving Small Business. What are the 5 advantages
of professional networking. 2013.
 twitter140characters. Blogspot. 3 December 2012.
 Wikipedia. Facebook. n.d.