Jewish Knowhow — Networking

As the saying goes, “it's not what you know, it’s who you know”. This timeless advice is still important in the present day when it is possible to “know” people all over the world, sometimes without ever meeting them in person. Having people in your network is an invaluable asset to your professional life, and you can utilize the JewSurf community to expand your business contacts. The “business” category in our Jwall is the perfect place to virtually meet like-minded people from various industries. There are a couple of ways you can build your network online with JewSurf. 1. Post a business question on the Jwall. People love to share their opinions! You can meet others by posting a question on the Jwall under our “business” category. You don’t want to share specific information about your business or personal finances in a public online setting so you should keep these posts more general. Potential questions include things like asking people which financial software they use, what they think of a new business product you are looking into or what their thoughts on social media marketing are. The possibilities here are limitless! 2. Organize an in-person or online networking event. The Jwall “events” category is the perfect place to organize a networking event. You can organize an online networking event by posting the details on the Jwall and then hosting it on an external service such as Zoom or Skype. You can read more tips on posting the perfect event here jewsurf.com/jwall/united-states/events/48-jewish-knowhow-—-posting-an-event-online If you find someone you wish to speak to further in a one on one setting, you can send them a private message on JewSurf by clicking on their name. Remember that you are essentially still a stranger to them, so make sure you have a profile picture that is a picture of your face and some personal information attached to your profile such as your age, your country of residence, a link to your business website if you have one, and some facts about yourself so that you look more trustworthy to the person you are reaching out to. To help authenticate your identity and their identity further, you can move your conversation from JewSurf to another professional platform such as LinkedIn or even Facebook, where it is difficult to fake your identity. When networking, keep the following tips in mind: • Ask the other person questions about themselves and their experiences, not just direct business questions about how they can help you. • Always thank the other person for their time, and make sure they feel valued. • Think about what you can offer the other person, networking is a two-way street. • Ask them about other professionals they know. Even if they are not in the same industry as you or facing the same struggles as you, they might know someone who is. • Stay connected after talking to them: add them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or even Instagram. Remember the old proverb “If you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together”. Networking with your community on JewSurf will strengthen us all and lead to better futures for everyone. Now get talking!