Couldn’t agree more with his sentiments.  As we coach people in job search tactics, this is the ace-number-one technique and skill we help people develop.  Networking is the key to helping you find the next great position, but it is also the way that you can develop key partnerships, business relationships and help refine your personal brand and messaging to large audiences.

Along with my hypothesis that online social (and business) networking sites have cropped up as a result of our expansion from local community to global economy and the need for people to connect in new ways; I do have a word of warning related to developing online networks:  Your network is only as good as the people that are in it.

One of the beliefs that I have developed over time is that it’s all about quality and not quantity.  While you are out there cultivating your networks online not only should you be evaluating the value of the connection you are adding, but you should be continually culling and refining your network to make sure the most valuable people are part of the team that helps you along the way in your personal and professional endeavors.  Being a student of anthropology for many years academically and professionally, I couldn’t agree more with Robin Dunbar’s postulation that there is likely a limit on the number of people you can maintain deep, meaningful relationships with - though I am not sure if 150 is the correct number or not.  It really depends on you and your ability to sustain personal contact and connections (and by this I mean more then just a name in an address book) with more then 150 people on a regular basis.  The point is gathering names for names sake or to be known as someone with a large network won’t pay off if the connections aren’t rich and rewarding.  Your network is more likely to help you if you develop relationships beyond just a card in a rolodex.

Shally also says that in today’s digital age “it’s not who you know that counts, but who knows you.”  Right on, but there are other ways to get people to notice you outside of pure online networking.  Part of this is using social marketing principles, of which social networking is only one tool, to refine your image and personal brand that can be shared with a wide audience of savvy internet users. 

As you think about yourself in the career-o-sphere what are the other paths to developing a recognizable persona?  To be sure blogging is one way, but what about new developments in video resumes?  Or even more “traditional” paths like writing articles, moderating forums or participating in other online communities?  How have you marketed yourself outside of networking?