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Photo: Håkan Dahlström
Today I tried out Network Roulette on Brazen Careerist. For those unfamiliar, Brazen Careerist is a social network for Gen Ys to create and expand their professional network (and one of our favorites). Network Roulette is like speed dating for networking – you go there, upload your personal and professional info, talk with like-minded people for three minutes, and grow your network.
Whether you’re applying for schools, applying for jobs, considering a career change, or just keeping your options open, your network likely contains the answer. We’ve talked about networking before (both new and old) and this is a great example of new networking. It acknowledges that you must use your connections when looking for a job, but that your existing connections might not get it done. Then it takes a new angle on an old, non traditional format (speed dating) to expand your circle. Quintessentially new networking.
I’m not even looking for a job and Network Roulette helped me. It’s another way of getting yourself out there, and anytime you do that you’re forced to think critically – about yourself, your job, and what you’re doing to make both better. They ask that you have two things ready: what you want and what you are offering. So I thought about what I want for ApplyMate, what I’ve been doing, and how much more needs to be done. For example, I launched this blog to help more people find ApplyMate – which is a good thing – but I also knew that I’ve been neglecting it – not good.
Then I thought about my background and areas I could help others. I have experience with many types of business – the fun stuff like idea creation and making things come to life – and the boring stuff like finance, taxes, incorporation, partnership agreements, and hiring. By considering what I know and what I have to offer, I realized I had about four blog post ideas right there (coming soon). Two minutes of focused critical thinking and I have a whole new set of ideas.
I plan on going back to Network Roulette for more. It’s good karma, it gives me the opportunity to help others (I chatted with a student eying a career where I worked in the past), and it helped generate actionable ideas for the future. I need more of that in my life.
