September 7, 2009 66 Comments

Why Social Networking

Cadillac CTS-V I was talking with Michelle at an event in Austin, and we started talking about her passion for cars. I told her that I had a huge crush on the Cadillac CTS-V, and she said it was a decent car. Then, Michelle went off about how most American cars have lots of power, but that they don’t know how to transfer it to the ground. She said it’s a problem with most suspension systems. So, the cars can be powerful, but because they can’t transfer that power efficiently to the wheels and into the ground, it’s somewhat wasted.

I tell you this because I woke up realizing that this makes an apt analogy for why people often have trouble finding jobs.

Your capabilities don’t matter much if you don’t have a robust enough network to get them out to where they can do the most good.

It’s great that you know how to do all kinds of things. It’s wonderful that you’ve got all kinds of experience. If people don’t know you, if your name doesn’t readily come to mind, it doesn’t matter a lick.

At the end of 2008, I wrote a free ebook to help you understand how to use the social web to find work. If you or a friend needs work right now, please give it a read. It might help.

What do you think? Does that analogy make sense? If you can’t transfer your power to the ground, what good is it?

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  • http://twitter.com/HelloNorthGA Georgia North

    Apt analogy indeed! Thank you for bringing your ebook back to the surface.

  • http://en-gb.facebook.com/jim.hayward Jim Hayward

    Thanks for all of your inspiration Chris

  • http://www.mikespoints.com MikeDriehorst

    Chris,
    Your point is dead on. I was laid off Aug. 20, 2008, and since that time have learn (and have often said) that you need to be good at what you know, but it is *who* you know that matters nearly as much.

    To steal an ad theme, it *really* is the power of one's network.
    -Mike

  • http://twitter.com/randulo Jazz blues wine voip

    Very true, Chris, I have been able to help several people in areas of knowledge totally unrelated to the context in which I know and network with some people. If someone in wine asks about VoIP, I can help them (and so can Andy Abramson, well-known in VoIP, help with deep wine knowledge). There is a paradigm here like 'namespace' at work here seeking a name. One person, many spaces.

  • Roberta Balder

    Yes Chris, that makes perfect sense. What's the old adage? “It's not what you know, but who you know”

  • http://twitter.com/NikiBGD Danica Radisic

    Couldn't agree more. Although, of course, it's not JUST about who you know or who knows about you. I tend to use a more “Basic” analogy – content/ability is 1, while format/networking is 0. Individually, they are what they are. Together, they're a perfect 10.
    Enjoyed the post. Thanks.

  • http://twitter.com/RaymondTaylor Ray Taylor

    Chris, your analogy is right on the money. I volunteer at a career counseling mission at church. In today's market we are seeing more executives looking for jobs than in previous years. Many have killer resumes and highly valuable skills, yet they are getting no traction. Many become so focused on their company that they have let their network atrophy. Social Media is an essential part of building that network back up. If they are looking for a position in PR or marketing and they don't have social media experience forget about it.

    I'm going to add your blog as a way to introduce an upcoming speaker on using Twitter in job search.

  • http://stevedevane.com stevedevane

    Hi Chris,

    I think that this is yet another example of how principles that work offline can be used online. I have a friend who says that lucky people are lucky most often not because of random chance but because they were prepared for the situation that made worked out to make them seem lucky. In other words, it wasn't just being in the right place at the right time, but also realizing the right place and the right circumstances when they present themselves. A lot of this happens when you have a solid network of friends and associates.

    Thanks for the good words. I look forward to reading the ebook. Sorry I missed it the first time around. Glad I'm lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and recognize it this time.

    Steve DeVane

  • http://www.1918.com/ 1918

    Last week I worked with a newspaper that wants to launch a community website. Not so much to interact with the community, but more so to stop the new community based websites from creeping into their territory.

    You were probably talking about regular people in this post, but I read it from the newspaper perspective. Most big daily papers have ignored their network/community for so long that their 10,000 horsepower engine can barely pull out of the driveway each morning.

  • franklintello

    Been toying with this concept for the last few days, and it's nice to read your point of view Chris. I'm a strong advocate of the power of networking, online and then taking that offline.

    It's en enigma to me that so many people have the knowledge to do amazing things, yet they don't take action. If only they would put to practice what they know…

    As always, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    -Franklin
    Note: By the way, your crush is justified ;)

  • http://sherylloch.com SherylLoch

    Your post is on the money.

    I will disagree to a point with some comments.

    I think it has very little to do with Who you know, or who you (do things likes Monica Lewinsky did that we know really did happen even if Bill said they didn't) Sorry, I got side tracked. You know what I mean. ;)

    It is so important that OTHERS know who YOU are.
    I had a job that I was very good at. I did not look for employers, they came to find me. Some of them I had never heard of but, all that mattered was that they knew me & how I worked.

    It is much easier when others come to you because they have heard or seen your work.
    An open door is easier to walk through than trying to get the door open in the 1st place.

  • fabulousphotogifts

    Hi Chris

    perhaps small and nippy (speedy) – agility might be better than brute force sometimes?

    Jonathan.

  • http://twitter.com/vijaysankaran Vijay Sankaran

    Chris, I believe in the value of social networking for a career, but is it a silver bullet?
    Just today i read this reality check in NYT: “Out of Work, Too Down to Search On, and Uncounted ” http://bit.ly/2bUlRW. There are just too few jobs, and too many jobless. What would you recommend for the people in this story?

  • http://suzemuse.wordpress.com suzemuse

    Good analogy. As others have said, it's the “it's not what you know, but who you know”. But there is one flag it raises with me.

    If social networking can solve the “who you know” part, then what did we do before these tools? I think we all need be careful about popping social media into the “be all and end all” bubble. Before social media, I'm sure we all found plenty of jobs the old fashioned way – by having a network “on the ground” of ears and eyeballs, by reaching out to those networks (going for lunch, making phone calls, chatting at events). Even if I wasn't involved in social media, I suspect that I'd still be able to work within my “offline” network to find new opportunities. Though I get quite a bit of work through my online connections, more of it still comes from the offline world. Does social media create new opportunities? You bet your next contract it does. But remember, there are still lots and LOTS of valuable connections who aren't out here yet. They are valuable parts of one's network too. It's important we don't lose sight of that.

  • http://www.twitter.com/BillFanning Bill Fanning

    Agreed! By the way, if the CTS-V does not efficiently transfer power to the wheels, you would not know it from driving it. With the exception of the Corvette Z06, it's the fastest car I've ever driven. To tie this back the original point of the post, I'd say this is an incredibly well networked ride!

  • christopherhopper

    Finally I have a legit reason to connect my “only buying imports” and why I believe international travel is essential to healthy ministry (my profession, in my case). Thanks. ch:

  • robertloblaw

    Finding work through networking is the most efficient way. Thasnk yuou Chris for helping people in these tough economic times

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  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    Oh, I don't think she meant the CTS-V. I think she gave that one a vote of approval. I drove one in Detroit (actually, GM let me play with it), and it ROCKED.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

    We social networked before this, but with less effective tools. Letters of introduction, etc.

  • http://BernardMolek.com Bernard Molek

    Itz labor day but I'm working because I've recently been out of work. Your post is right on time and now itz off to the eBook…thanks again for looking out for us.

  • chrisnorton

    Interesting post and analogy Chris. I completely agree and it goes back to the old saying: “It's not what you know, it's who you know.” Social media and social neworking provides brilliant platforms for people to place themselves as thought leaders – you only have to look at your good self to see that.

  • http://www.sitesketch101.com Nicholas Z. Cardot

    Getting the power to the ground…that's a good illustration of using social networking. I just went over and read Michelle's article about American cars. Great illustration.

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  • http://www.loopthing.com/?a=BnGncukOwJ4 Donagh Mc Sweeney

    Ya i get it. An interesting analogy Chris! One of those Eureka moments?

  • michellegreer

    Ha, this is hilarious. I hate to link drop, but that conversation also lead to this post. How weird is it that they went out at about the same time?
    http://www.michellesblog.net/marketing-for-the-…

    You are 100% correct in this assessment and so is @stevedevane in his insightful comment. The internet is requiring people to get more specialized in what they do. If you are specialized, you need a network of people to help you find a job should you be out of work.

    It's also key not to wait until you are out of work to network. As much as I like helping people find work, I take a risk recommending someone to a company if I just met that person.

    And now for something totally different: Sabine Schmidt driving like a lunatic around the Nurburgring! Have fun with it and don't be a stranger when you come to Austin!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iErSrUDvaOU

  • davepool

    Happily, your point is valid even without the original observation having much basis in fact.

  • davepool

    Happily, your point is a valid one even in spite of the original observation having little basis in fact.

  • Sherry Kronenfeld

    I love that one of the tags for this is “thinking.” I'm going to use that one in the future (the act and the tag).
    Sherry Kronenfeld

  • DMTherese

    Chris,

    This is a great piece — whether you're employed or not. Per your closing advice, I'm threading the needle and following you on Twitter, inviting to connect as friends on facebook and just subscribed to your newsletter. We're already “Linkedin”

    Therese

  • http://StanDubin.com standubin

    I am confused. I just finished listening to a podcast that Chris did with John Jantsch. Chris mentions there if you bought 200 copies of his new book, you got a half day of time with Chris personally. He did this for 200 people and then upped the ante to 300 books.

    I don't understand something. If I buy and read all 200 books, I should have a pretty solid idea of what to do, right? Would I really need the half day with Chris?

    Well, definitely with the 300.

  • http://www.myercommunications.com/ Laurie Myer

    Now that's an “aha” moment!

    I think the analogy is very apt. The one most important thing job seekers must do is get out there talking/meeting/interacting/helping people. The multiplier effect of each contact you make potentially opening doors to many other contacts has to accelerate your results.

    Thanks Chris — I always appreciate your postings, they make me smile AND think!

    Laurie

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  • http://faleafine.com NEENZ

    Solid advice for entrepreneurs.

  • http://www.facebook.com/AchimMuellers Achim J. Muellers

    Actually an British idiom to define the moment of truth is ' where the rubber meets the road' + here's Meat Loaf's view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0JVgY08Zd4 .-)

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  • elbiddulph

    As I was reading this, I actually thought you were going to head in a different direction. A leader's power doesn't do any good if she/he can't transfer it efficiently to followers. Just as it may be a problem for suspension systems, it can also be a problem for people with power. Keeping the power for oneself doesn't lead to success. Transferring it to others who can take it and do fabulous things; now there's good use of power.

  • elbiddulph

    As I was reading this, I actually thought you were going to head in a different direction! A leader can be powerful, but if she/he doesn't know how to efficiently transfer that power to followers, it's somewhat wasted. Sharing and giving away one's power to others who can take it, run with it, and really make things happen; now there's a good use of power.

  • http://blog.mdsuburbanhomes.com Ken Montville

    I agree that the network is important. I wonder how it might be used for the entrepreneur who is looking for clients vs looking for a job. Although, for most entrepreneurs, clients = jobs. It's one thing to use a network to find a place to hunker down for a few years (or many years), it's quite another to use a network to find many clients over and over again. Just wonderin'

  • http://unscramblesm.blogspot.com/ Nitin Gupta

    Well said..”opportunity knocks” only for those who “know” about the opportunities..

  • http://www.facebook.com/brad.attig Brad Attig

    Chris,

    It's an good analogy particularly when you consider, for all the improvements, a car really hasn't changed much since its inception. Most of the early models had 4 tires and so do most cars today. Suspensions are mostly the same, I don't recall seeing many cars that hover.

    What has changed is the road surface. It went from horse paths, to dirt, to gravel to cobblestone to blacktop to concrete to all sorts of new stuff. The suspension has semi-evolved in response but is always playing catch up.

    I see a lot of parallels between a job search and the tools available to communicate. Most job seekers are on unfamiliar roadway today but using an old fashioned, leaf spring suspension and solid rear axle. I happen to think they are on some new, super slick, silicon roadway and yet many (I said many, not all) do is look at job boards and hit the “APPLY NOW” button.

    Rgds,

    Brad Attig

    http://www.myretailcareer.net

  • jonwortmann

    Forgive me falling for the hook, but I want to hear more about why you love the CTS. My love affair with the brand began because of my grandparents and now it is because I love my32 valve Northstar engine. It's an older model car–that belonged to my grandfather–and has no trouble getting power to the ground. Where did your love start?

  • mssvelteny

    I couldn't have woken up a better post than this. Thank you so much for doing what you do.

  • http://imjustagoyle.com/ imjustagoyle

    This is absolutely a great analogy! As a veteran of the recruiting industry, my livelihood always depended on the strength of my network and the ability to utilize that network effectively. I stress the same as a career coach. Building and sustaining your network is the single most important thing you will do in your career. That obviously includes the use of social networking sites. Back when I started in recruiting most networking was done face to face or over the phone. In my opinion social networks makes reaching out to peers easier than ever before so there's no excuse not to do it!

  • Barbara Mackie

    Great analogy. Brought to mind Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers.

  • judyhowardellis

    Love this analogy, Chris. At every level our lives have changed — including how we let people know what we can do. Posts like this remind us of the constant state of change in which we are now living. Thanks for all you do… Will forward your e-book!
    Judy

  • http://detroit.fwix.com Jamie Favreau

    I am a firm believer these days in it being in who you know. I very rarely spend time on job boards but when I find out that the company I want to work for is hiring. Then I am networking my butt off. So far, I have had 2 people (A VP and President) read my resume but still no call. So instead of waiting for them to answer me I contacted the Director of Accounts because he happened to maybe glance at my Linked In account. Then I find out a friend of a friend has another connection to the company and he is going to be sending a reference for me. So this is good!! I am making sure they know my name.

    In the meantime, I am volunteering at a Social Media and Personal Branding conference in Detroit called Brand Camp 09 and I volunteered at the Social Media Conference Module 09 which Chris was a part of. I also was the #journchat Live Detroit champion for Detroit.

    I am blogging, doing some freelance work, and networking. So I am hoping this turns out to be good all at once. I am hoping all my research and stuff pays off.

    Jamie

  • http://twitter.com/maryhenige Mary Henige

    I finished your book this weekend and really enjoyed it. I quoted from it twice today, in fact!

    Seems like you're talking about your Agent Zero philosophy here and making your own game. How true, it's the old adage, “It's who you know,” but now add “even virtually.” I also think you should take your CTS-V crush to the next level — you never know where that may lead . . . perhaps to a Caddy in your driveway?! ( ;

    Mary, General Motors Social Media

  • Pinkcats46

    Hi Chris,

    I just printed your Ebook, which I shared with my husband who is looking for a job!

    You make some great points, as always, about social media and the job market. I enjoy reading your blog and look forward to future posts!

  • http://www.zoombits.de/batterien/ akku

    Hello. Thank you for this great info! Keep up the good job!

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