Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself: Networking Link Roundup

It is time for the return of my "Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself" link round-up. These lists started as a monthly "peek into my brain" as your personal Google Reader, and have since morphed to be theme-based. Rather than post monthly, I will post by topic when the mood strikes (and when a stroke of luck and good planning gives me time to sift through 70+ Google Reader feeds). The topic for this round is Networking. Networking and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it when networking happens naturally and authentically; when it is fun, interesting and allows me to build real relationships with people. I hate networking when it feels forced, regimented, too strategic, or requires tedious small-talk. For many of the reasons on my second list, I always thought of networking as eating my spinach. I "networked" when it was convenient; not because I liked it, but because I knew it was good for me.

In the last year, largely thanks to Twitter, I have had a complete change of heart. Connecting with others in real-time (either on the phone or in person) after meeting online has been exciting, enriching and incredibly fulfilling. I am networking naturally because I enjoy it - because people are inspiring and interesting, and I am learning from them in a number of ways. Everyone has a great story to tell, and by virtue of how we meet we already seem to have a baseline of things in common. So without further ado, below are some networking articles that you will hopefully find interesting and informative.

Couldn't Have Said it Better Myself: Networking

Guess what? I found half of these blogs through social media networking! Okay cheesy, I know, but true. Bottom line: networking doesn't just make you friends, it makes you smarter.

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