Often when I talk to expats about networking on Facebook, they seem doubtful that contacts made there would help them professionally. I might have agreed with them a few years ago, but today there is more and more evidence that this is simply not the case.
I wanted to share a story with you of one such a case. I was chatting with a client about the success they'd been having with their blog and online networking. They mentioned that their partner (both of them expats) had actually secured an internship, which led to his current full-time job, through Facebook.
Always looking for news to inspire others to get out there and leverage the power of Facebook, I asked him if he would be willing to share his story. And here it is...
"I had finished an internship with the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) in September 2006 and I was looking for my big break to get back into the UN system.
I was looking for my "first job" after finishing my undergraduate degree, which is tough enough anywhere. Living in Rome and not speaking much Italian, not being here 100% legally, and having little connections did not help me very much.
I joined the WFP facebook network in order to have my profile to be accessible to people within that network. I never thought that I would be offered a position to work there again.
The web team manager for a web project within WFP was looking for someone to work with online platform sites such as youtube, facebook, myspace, etc. in order to gain publicity on their main webpage. They were looking for someone who knew about the internet, and who has worked on web sites before.
It was easy enough for her to look through the WFP facebook network and look for someone who fit those criteria.
It said on my profile that I had worked on a WFP project and that I was looking for a job. The web team and the project I had worked on previously were within the same satellite building in Rome – so it was simple enough for the web team manager to check a reference in person.
She contacted me, offered me a internship, and the rest is rest!"
YOUR EXPAT SUCCESS TIP: If you have not already, join Facebook. But please make sure that what is on your profile is reflective of your personal brand and what you want employers to see! Go to previous blog posts to learn more about your online identity, what 'digital dirt' is and how to control it , and what some of the experts have to say about whether or not employers should use information they find online about candidates in their hiring decisions.
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Posted by: Business Journal | November 2008 at 22:19
I've been living in Spain for the past year (and France for a year before that). I work in Spain (fortunately I'm a Canadian with a British passport), but I'm also building an online business in English.
If it weren't for groups like Facebook and Twitter, my networking would be much more difficult.
As it is, I can now live my dream life while still working at what I love.
Posted by: Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome | December 2008 at 14:30