Networking Groups That Can Help You

By Frances Chaves

According to Dan Goodman, networking has a 30 to 60 percent effectiveness rate. Job boards are only three to ten percent effective. We are probably all aware of the benefits joining LinkedIn groups. Here are other groups recommended by Goodman that you might not know about:

• Alumni organizations. High schools, colleges, grad schools — all have organizations that can help you hook up with helpful people.

• Chamber of Commerce. Through PSGCNJ’s Somerset County Business Partnership membership, PSGCNJ members can attend local business meetings and events.

• Meetup.com. While Meetup.com is best known as a site for social hookups, business groups also advertise here. For example, the Princeton Tech Meetup is publicizing a meet up with over 2,000 local techies, any of whom might be employed at one of your target companies.

• Execunet and NetShare. Both organizations host confidential executive-level job postings, link executives with recruiters and provide opportunities for networking between members.

• ChiefExecutiveNetwork.com hosts industry-specific, revenue compatible, non-competing groups facilitated by trained experts to share innovative ideas, solve specific problems and uncover best practices.

• The “ENG’s”. Local chapters of these industry-specific executive networking groups host meetings:
o       FENG (Financial Executives Networking Group)
o       MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group)
o       TENG (Technology Executives Networking Group)
o       BENG (Business Executives Networking Group)
o       SENG (Senior Executive Networking Group)

• BNI International. With over 160,000 members worldwide, BNI claims to be the largest business networking organization in the world.

• Professional organizations. A comprehensive listing of some 23,000 national and international organizations can be found in the Encyclopedia of Associations, 41st ed., 2004, published by Gale Research Company, 835 Penobscot Building, 645 Griswold St., Detroit, Mich. 48226-4049, available in most public libraries. Or you can look for the association associated with your profession at this website: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004878.html