Professional networking

For someone who has more than 600+ connections in a professional network LinkedIn, it sounds foolish when he says professional networking is a big waste of time. But there are certain myths associated with it, which is not true in today’s business climate. I share here  a couple of myths around professional networking and would love to hear from you about your experiences.

1. Meeting big prospective customers at conferences – Most people who attend these conferences and seminars are not decision makers because they are too busy with their professional assignments. And even if they do attend, vendors surround them from all angles. It does not mean that people from big companies do not network. They usually network at the community level and prefer to meet with their counterparts from various other divisions and converge at industry specific events and exhibitions.
2. Referring contacts- If you are looking to get introduced to a big-shot of a big firm, chances are pretty slim. Unless I have a better sense of your capabilities, character, and style of  functioning and so on, why would I risk introducing you to someone? If it turns out that the company to which I referred you finds you incapable, I stand to lose my credibility. Always make sure you know the professionals whom you approach.
3. Proactive approach- It takes a lot of time and perseverance to follow up on the contacts one makes at conferences and events.  Ask yourself if you have that time to spend.

Coming back to news and happenings at STC India, I am pleased to share  that the STC India Chapter has earned the Community Merit Award for 2010. The citation on our certificate will read: “For your active and enthusiastic efforts in providing opportunities for professional development with your Annual Conference, regional conferences, and Career Day”. Our Community will be recognized during the Leadership Day event on Sunday, May 15, at the summit in Sacramento. At that time,  we will receive the CAA certificate.

This is really a wonderful news for us because we had so many new volunteers, but our team work paid off to win us this award for our efforts. It’s really difficult to do a good job for work that is completely voluntary, in addition to our busy work schedules.

The 1^st STC India Summit is scheduled to take place at the Chancery Pavillion, Bangalore on May 7-8, 2011. We are conducting  5 workshops, 20 conference sessions, 1 panel discussion and lots more in the two-day summit. Take a peek at the Summit agenda here: http://www.stc-india.org/2011/04/summit-agenda/.  In case you are planning to attend, do visit the following url to register: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDl3SER0LW1oV19hdnV3Qm16cUNnRnc6MQ#gid=0.

In conclusion, our prayers go out to the people of Japan. On March 11, 2011,  an 8.9 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan near the city of Sendai. The earthquake generated a massive Tsunami  resulting in floods and fires. Thousands of people were killed, and homes, fields and towns were flooded or destroyed.  You can use the STC India portal to make a contribution. Do visit the link- http://www.stc-india.org/.

– Rajdeep Gupta

Rajdeep is the President and Sponsorship Manager for the STC India Chapter 2011. You can write to him at president@stc-india.org.