I had lunch this week with a recent college graduate – the daughter of a dear friend and colleague – who impressed me with her creative use of social media to expand her networking horizons. What Laura did this summer shows how harnessing the power of technology can take the experience of making connections to a whole new level.
Here’s her story: Laura took a wonderful tour through Australia during June and July, exploring with people she had only met digitally prior to the trip. Their first contact came through a writing group posting on one of Yahoo’s Message Boards earlier in the year. They all felt something in common, so proceeded to get to know each other better through Twitter and online games. After that, they moved on to IM Group Chats, and before long, proceeded to regular Skype conversations. And so, these five young women – two from Ireland, two from Australia and Laura from here in New York – developed a true “global” friendship. The more they talked, the more they liked each other, and the obvious next step was to make a plan to meet in person Down Under!
Here’s a picture of the happy group, who spent three memorable weeks together touring Sydney and Brisbane: Bravo, Laura!! With resourcefulness like this, I know you will have a great career ahead of you!!