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Working the Web
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July 23, 1998: 10:10 a.m. ET
World Wide Web gives you the chance to expand your career contacts
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - If you're looking to expand your universe of business contacts, the Internet can give you an advantage in building relationships to help your career along.
But even though networking -- one of the tried and true ways to advance your career prospects -- is actually now somewhat easier due to the rise of the Internet, all the fundamentals of networking remain important.
Networking, making contacts with other people who may be able to help you get ahead in the future, should be the keystone of your career planning strategy. The U.S. Labor Department estimated 48 percent of job-seekers get hired through networking, and career advisers put that figure even higher at around 70 percent.
Before the explosion in popularity of the Internet, most networking was done face to face -- usually by setting up an informational interview or through mixing at professional clubs or organizations.
The old-school networking was limited. If you didn't live near a particular meeting place or couldn't come up with the money for an organization's membership fee, you were often locked out from contact with the people could make a difference in moving up to a higher-paid position.
The Web has changed all that. It allows you to make the right connections with the right people, regardless of where you live.
But the Internet's potential brings with it difficulties. The Web is a very large community and zeroing in on the right person will take persistence and strategy on your part.
"Think out of the box," said Rose Emerson, president of career consultants America's Employers. "It's all about developing contacts and coming up with the most creative ways to do that."
Emerson suggested starting with the company Web sites of businesses within your field. They will almost certainly have an e-mail address and if you dig deeper, you'll often find some very specific addresses. Look for a personnel directory for someone who may be relevant to your career.
This may not necessarily be the human resources person. Instead, look for someone who may be at the level you wish to be at in a few years. By establishing a rapport with them you could gain valuable insight into what it takes to get ahead.
Networking should at first be a process of learning, not of getting, and your first learning experience will start before you even approach someone.
If you're going to contact someone via e-mail at a company, make sure you have thoroughly researched its business. This can usually be done right at their Web site. Know the products, the services and where the business is going. Your contact isn't there to fill you in on information you should have known in the first place.
Don't ask them for a job or if they know whether there will be any jobs available soon. Assuming you've received an e-mail which lets you know the person will respond, tell them a little bit about yourself, your skills and where you would like your career to go. Then you can ask your contact if he thinks you need to expand your skills. Examine your career together.
You can widen the scope of your Internet networking through professional organizations. If you're a mechanical engineer, do a search to see what clubs or organizations have a presence on the Web.
Oftentimes, these groups have bulletin boards that allow you to post messages and converse with others about topics related to your field. By discussing these topics intelligently, you can establish yourself as a knowledgeable worker. You'll also discern which others are as well and can approach them for advice and opinions.
alt.careers.networking-newsgroups
The online communities most Web users are familiar with -- chat rooms and newsgroups -- probably offer the least possibilities for networking.
"A newsgroup is another venue, and I'm not one to say ignore any venues, but don't expect the best results from them," said Emerson.
Even the most innocuous ones are often rollicking places where one seemingly innocent comment can unleash a barrage of flames.
Because of this volatility, newsgroups are a difficult place to make calm, friendly approaches toward others. In addition, many newsgroup communities take a dim view of those who are looking to sell themselves instead of contributing to a discussion.
For the same reasons, Internet chat rooms present obstacles toward networking efficiently.
If you're determined to use either chats or newsgroups for your networking, try to find one that is as specific as possible to your field. In this way, you'll be less likely to be accused of "spamming" to advance your career.
Additionally, these groups tend to be slightly insular communities. You can't just pop in and say "Can anybody help me find another job?" Instead, you'll have to build up a reputation with others in the groups. This can take awhile and brings up the issue of whether your time would be better spent networking elsewhere.
You don't necessarily even need to network with people who are employed, said James Gonyea, president of Gonyea & Associates, a Florida-based career guidance center.
He advises people to go to the various online job search sites, such as Monster Board or CareerPath.com and search for people who have similar or greater experience than you.
"They might come across jobs that aren't appropriate for them in their searches that might be perfect for you," said Gonyea. They could also become future contacts once they do find positions within companies.
Make a good Web impression
Since you'll be communicating with people through the Web and not in person, you might think the rules of the game are different. They're not.
"There's not a large difference between online and face-to-face networking," said Gonyea. Since you may be posting to newsgroups or bulletin boards about your career search, be prepared for the possibility your employer could see it.
Don't be taken in by more informal ways of the Web either. While you may use emoticons like ;-) when you're writing to your friends, the people you're looking to network with should be viewed as professional business contacts.
Overly familiar language or failed humor and sarcasm could damage their image of you as a responsible person they would want to recommend to others.
Additionally, keep your e-mails on the short side. Remember, these are busy professionals who are doing you a favor by giving you their insight, so don't waste their time.
And although it should go without saying, make sure your writing skills, form and grammar are checked and double checked. Initially, the only impression you'll be making to your contact is through your writings.
Expanding your horizons via the Internet will never take the place of the face-to-face contact of the networking of old but it will have an important place in the future of many workers, said Emerson.
"The Internet is the only new thing that's come along for job seekers in a long time," she said. "It's taken it to another level, and it works." 
-- by staff writer Randall J. Schultz
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