When Networking, Have an Opinion

The opportunities and methods to network and learn in Chicago are growing by leaps and bounds. We’re congregating virtually and getting together at fantastic new venues like 1871 and Grind – it’s an exciting time to be the Business of You.

Our Executive Director at Career Transitions Center of Chicago and I attended Chicago Ideas Week (CIW) for a talk titled “Future of Business: Getting Ahead of the Trend.” Hosted by Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments, the conversation began with a focus on entrepreneurism, morphed into a call to action on the global water crisis and concluded with a meaningful discussion between senior management at Twitter and Starcom MediaVest Group about harnessing the power of social media. Phew. I'm out of breath! But, that is exactly the experience we had - pleasantly fascinated and overwhelmed.

The topics were fascinating, our eyes were wide, and CIW certainly delivered on the promise to create a community of curiosity.

Unsurprisingly, I found myself thinking about what these trends and topics mean for the job market – for CTC clients and alumni looking for meaningful work. I was reminded how incredibly important it is to be aware of changes, trends and possible solutions to challenges in your industry of interest. How, when we attend events like this, we walk out with a more informed opinion on a wide range of issues – an opinion we can bring to networking events and social media to contribute to a conversation, and be of service when so many are looking to take, not necessarily give, information.

This is the new way of looking at what it means to walk into a room, into a center of influence, and participate in a conversation – a new way of looking at networking. In that spirit, I heard a lot at the event about job opportunities in between the lines – here are a few to share with the CTC Community and beyond:

• Job opportunities in cyber security are only going to grow as companies of all sizes realize how vulnerable they are to an attack on a small or large scale
• The growth in the energy commodities sector will create opportunity, and water scarcity across the globe means that we need smart people to build relationships with China and India to pool resources, talent and solutions to get ahead of the type of drought we can control
• Social media content management and harnessing it to get customers engaged and enthused is something companies are willing to pay for

In fact, according to a 2014 study from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 83% of Fortune 500 companies have a Twitter account and have tweeted in the past 30 days. One of the big airlines has seen more complaints (and resolutions) come through their Twitter account than their phone banks and now considers it an incredible opportunity to build their brand. The Washington Post agrees. Resolving a complaint publicly allows for transparency, and transparency is attractive.

Reading about trends, having an opinion and sharing it for the good of the community is important. With that in mind, I am so excited to be a part of the team at CTC, and to work diligently and with a sense of curiosity to continue to bring our clients the best programming possible to go even further, even faster, alongside our coaches and staff.