The Importance of Networking

Looking through sites and articles this week, trying to find something to blog about, I stumbled across site posted on the blog, "10 Things Entrepreneurs Don't Learn in College". Number 5 on the list is titled "Networking". I thought this was important because it's kind of what John Herman's lecture was all about; using the resources (including people) available to you to better yourself and market yourself. As a journalism major I have found networking to be extremely important. I am involved in something like 7 different organizations on campus (wow, that kind of stresses me out just thinking about it!) but with all those people, there is always someone who knows something or someone for me to talk to. Even if it's just a starting point, asking acquaintances or people in orgs with me has never lead me wrong. Last year writing a story about Adderall use on campus for Sue Hertz's class, I asked friends, random people, neighbors and friends of friends if they knew anyone who had ever used adderall to help them on a test or get them through finals. I finally found someone and he turned out to be a great source for my story, he even introduced me to his roommate and I interviewed him too! I guess what I'm saying is I really get the concept of networking and see how it's so important. My only problem is I'm not very goo at networking via social media, I prefer face to face (or at lease email to email or phone to phone) contact. Using twitter and Facebook for networking can be very powerful, I think, I just have yet to harness that potential ad of yet... I'm working on it though!