I will be interested to learn more about Megan’s advice on expat careers. The kinds of expat positions have changed alot since I was in China for five years.

Cheers,
Michael

Great post – and thanks for the mention! Both you and Walter have fantastic thoughts on this topic.

Being a connector is an excellent mode of “being” or “doing”. Unfortunately,the way some people seem to think about networking prevents them from focusing on other people, which is what makes networking work. Those who “give” or “connect” and seem to be acting with clear expectation of return can end up hurting their reputation rather than helping it.

I too look forward to continuing the conversation on Twitter – it’s a great way to connect!

In choice,
Megan

Great post! And thanks for the hat tip! Actually, I think the idea of being a connector and a resource are truly important for networking success. Making it your business to build genuine relationships, and finding natural opportunities to give, as Megan points out, are keys to networking success. The more you strengthen your relationships and the more good will you build, the more likely you’ll find that people are willing to help when you need a hand.

I also believe that it takes a bit of inspiration and motivation to keep one’s networking skills fresh. Liz Lynch, Executive Director of the Center for Networking Excellence, and owner of The Stealth Networker Blog is a terrific source of both. I’ve blogged about her work here: http://snipurl.com/2k2hm. I encouragge your readers to check out the post and then check out Liz’s “Passport to Networking” series (links in my post).

I hope that more people will find ways to make networking a natural part of who they are as opposed to a transactional approach to meeting their own needs first.

Best,
Walter