Spring 2025 Week 4 Circle J - SujeethFoundation/sujeethfoundation.github.io GitHub Wiki

Link to Recording

Transcript

Meeting Summary

The meeting focused on networking strategies, emphasizing the importance of tailoring messages for different audiences and using various social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Participants shared their experiences with networking, highlighting the need for personal branding and the use of tools like Notion and OneNote for organizing information. The discussion also covered the significance of managing up, asking questions, and leveraging personal experiences to build connections. A video on working out loud circles and personal branding was reviewed, stressing consistency and visibility on LinkedIn. The session concluded with practical tips for overcoming networking challenges and building a professional network.

Action Items

  • Research and explore tools for organizing information and resources.
  • Update LinkedIn profile and be more active on the platform.
  • Volunteer and put yourself out there to build your brand.
  • Make an impact on others and be memorable.

Outline

Networking and Social Media Strategies

  • Speaker 2 introduces the week's agenda, focusing on networking and expanding beyond LinkedIn to other social media platforms.
  • Speaker 2 emphasizes the importance of tailoring messages for different audiences, such as friends, family, executives, and recruiters.
  • Speaker 3 shares their limited experience with business social media, preferring to network with known contacts rather than random connections.
  • Speaker 2 discusses a now-removed LinkedIn feature that allowed local networking via Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, highlighting the importance of knowing the person before connecting.

Personal Experiences and Networking Techniques

  • Speaker 4 talks about connecting personal experiences and challenges in networking to show their commitment to learning and improvement.
  • Speaker 2 advises on explaining learning methods to recruiters, as companies often prioritize training new hires over previous experience.
  • Speaker 5 shares how their current job in a restaurant helps them relate to future roles in the food service industry.
  • Speaker 6 emphasizes the importance of asking questions and utilizing resources, such as Business Career Services, to find networking opportunities.

Organizing Information and Resources

  • Speaker 2 asks about methods for organizing learned information and resources, sharing their use of OneNote for digital note-taking and searchability.
  • Speaker 5 and Speaker 6 discuss their use of Notion for scheduling, to-do lists, and class archives, highlighting its benefits for dual degree majors.
  • Speaker 4 and Speaker 3 mention their preference for Google Docs and type-A personality traits for staying organized without the need for extensive to-do lists.
  • Speaker 1 shares their use of Google Docs for summarizing conversations and notes, and their interest in learning Notion.

Branding and Personal Networking

  • Speaker 2 rephrases a question about using the coat of arms (personal brand) in networking, with Speaker 3 suggesting connecting on shared goals or past experiences.
  • Speaker 5 and Speaker 4 discuss aligning personal passions with potential employers and asking questions to understand work experiences.
  • Speaker 1 suggests that knowing someone well enough to direct them to similar contacts can help in networking.
  • Speaker 6 talks about aligning personal interests with company values during initial networking rounds.

Managing Up and Building Relationships

  • Speaker 2 introduces the concept of managing up, or building relationships with managers and supervisors, to enhance career growth.
  • Speaker 2 shares examples of managers with unique passions, such as pizza or bourbon, and the importance of understanding their backgrounds.
  • Speaker 2 emphasizes the value of managing up to gain support and mentorship from supervisors.
  • Speaker 8 attempts to share a video on networking techniques, encountering technical difficulties but eventually resolving them.

Video on Working Out Loud Circles

  • Speaker 7 discusses the concept of working out loud circles at ZF, a method for building relationships through contributions and visibility.
  • The video explains how working out loud circles help employees access knowledge and people, using tools like email and working out loud circles.
  • Speaker 2 highlights the importance of building a reputation as a subject matter expert by finding and sharing valuable information.
  • The video suggests using working out loud circles to build relationships and access knowledge within the company.

ChatGPT Exercise and Thought Leaders

  • Speaker 2 instructs participants to use ChatGPT to find thought leaders in sales engineering, sharing their own results and encouraging others to share theirs.
  • Participants share different lists of thought leaders, with some names appearing multiple times and others unique to individual searches.
  • Speaker 2 notes the variability in results based on the AI model used and the importance of comparing and contrasting different sources.
  • The exercise aims to help participants find valuable resources and thought leaders to follow and learn from.

Video on Personal Branding and Social Media

  • Speaker 9 discusses the importance of personal branding and how social media contributes to one's overall image.
  • The video emphasizes the need to post content regularly on LinkedIn and other platforms to build a professional network.
  • Speaker 9 suggests using Facebook lists to group friends and followers based on their relationship to you, helping to maintain a consistent brand.
  • The video advises creating a one-pager for networking purposes, summarizing qualifications and interests, to be prepared for opportunities.

Group Discussion on Networking Challenges

  • Speaker 2 opens the floor for a group discussion on what prevents people from networking, with Speaker 4 mentioning comfort and contentment as barriers.
  • Speaker 5 shares their initial social anxiety and lack of direction in networking, while Speaker 6 describes the overwhelming feeling of attending a networking event with many recruiters.
  • Speaker 2 suggests starting at the beginning, finding the logical starting point in a room, and being punctual to set a good first impression.
  • The group discusses the importance of overcoming social anxiety and discomfort to build a strong professional network.

Building Your Brand and Final Thoughts

  • Speaker 2 asks how participants can build their brand based on the discussion, with Speaker 3 emphasizing the importance of interacting on LinkedIn.
  • Speaker 4 suggests doing more to be visible and valuable, while Speaker 2 advises setting aside time for research and learning on LinkedIn.
  • Speaker 1 and Speaker 5 highlight the importance of volunteering, being memorable, and making an impact on others.
  • Speaker 2 concludes the session by looking ahead to next week's topic on research and exploration, encouraging participants to track progress towards their goals.