Forums And eLists For Networking and Personal Branding

Time to give up one of my personal marketing secrets. I’ve kind of written “about” it here and there, but today I’ll lay it out in a simple post.

This last year I’ve been networking and branding JibberJobber in the same way that you can to benefit your career aspirations (if you are a business, even a small business, I consider this to be guerrilla marketing). In April, my The National Networker article is titled “How to be Visible – Virtually” where I talk about what to do and how to get started. In this post I’ll share some specific resources that have proven invaluable to me (Jason is giving up the secret sauce).

I’ve found two local lists that are worth my time. One is in Atlanta and another is in Houston (I found both via Yahoo Groups). These are not really interactive – it’s mostly job announcements, network events, etc. that I get regularly via e-mail. No one replies and there is no discussion but it’s excellent to stay current on local opportunities. Here’s a taste of what you’ll get from Trey DeNina’s list from Houston:

Looking for a CANDIDATE or JOB? This is a great place to go!

“The Craig’s List of Texas” -Gary Deen, Recruiter

Trey DeNina’s Personal Networking Group as heard described on Employment Radio with Rick Gillis. TreyTech@YahooGroups.com

TreyTech@yahoogroups.com – A Place to Network (FREE). This group was started as a means to help keep Trey and his friends employed….A sort of “Pay it Forward” type setting…No money is generated by this, it just helps keep contacts networked…It is mainly for the Houston and Texas regions, but reaches nationally and internationally. Please send an email to Subscribe to: TreyTech-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or search Yahoo groups for TreyTech. –HNN

Testimonial:

It is difficult for me to condense my great experiences working with Trey Denina and being involved in his network. His “pay it forward” philosophy is not only his thoughts, it is his practice. I was stuck in a company that was not a good match and had worked with several staffing agencies to try and make a change with no success. Thanks to Trey and his TreyTech network, I am now working at a great company, doing what I love, and I am literally minutes away from my home and my son’s day-care. Not only has my professional life improved, my quality of life has greatly improved. I love my new job and I love the extra time it affords me to spend with my family. I don’t know where I would be if I had not signed up to participate in his network and seen the posting for my new position. The professionals involved in Trey’s network really care about recruiting and matching quality candidates with quality companies. I look forward to finding more great candidates for my new company through his network of professionals. Thanks so much, Trey – you have changed my life!!!

Amy Freeman PHR
Recruiter for Fluor Corporation

Added bonus? Trey actively posts to lots of lists, so getting on his radar (or getting his news) can get the word out to LOTS of people. I frequently see people passing resumes on, which gets in front of lots of recruiters and HR. You should look for something similar where you are (Salt Lake doesn’t have one, as far as I can tell) – here are some others to get an idea of what’s out there:

Atlanta Seekers – https://groups.yahoo.com/group/atlantaseekers/

Houston – TreyTech – https://groups.yahoo.com/group/TreyTech/

Southwest States (FL/GA) – https://groups.yahoo.com/group/refocusoncareers

Here are some lists that are more interactive, not geographic and where you can develop your brand amongst the group members. While you won’t see many job opps come through I’ve found these to be very valuable in my branding efforts – and know that people are developing relationships, getting new business, getting jobs and all that other utopian stuff that we all like to think is still alive.

MyLinkedInPowerForum – if you are interested in LinkedIn at all, you should be on this list: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/MyLinkedinPowerForum/

LinkedInBloggers – if you blog and want to take it to the next level come learn from some experts (I’m not a teacher here, I soak it all in): https://groups.yahoo.com/group/LinkedinBloggers/

AskLizRyan – she transitioned from Women In Technology (WIT) to this new venture and has over 30,000 members on her list. That’s huge. The discussion varies from everything to… everything but it’s been a valuable forum (and a great place to ask questions). https://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/asklizryan/

YoungPRPros – I’m almost to old to be here, and I’m not a PR Pro – but I’ve learned a TON from this group, seen a number of leads get passed along and even contributed a bit. https://groups.yahoo.com/group/youngprpros/

Here’s a tip – you can get a LOT of e-mails from any of these lists. You can set up a rule in your e-mail client to automatically route them to another folder. But I’d suggest you get on at least one list and try it out for a couple of weeks – you don’t have to post anything, just listen and learn – and if you can post something intelligently go for it (but try not to look like a dunce). If it’s too much, simply unsubscribe.

So there you go. Simple, really. But I’ve seen small miracles happen on these boards for people’s businesses and careers. And this strategy has done wonders for JibberJobber.

It takes time! It takes effort! It can be distracting! But it’s paid off for me and countless others. What lists/groups work for you?