Local Community, Human Connection

Building a career via your professional network

Life caught up with me over the past month, so I’ve been unable to write my newsletter articles. I’m back to it and hope to return to a regular schedule. I haven’t done a year-in-review yet, but 2024 looks to be the year I put more effort into building my professional network online and in person.

It’s Not Just Me

I’d love to say that I took the Frank Sinatra path to my career. However, I cannot. I did not do it “My Way”.” Each step along the way, I had assistance.

I’d love to say that I got my current job by applying to a job posting online. However, I cannot. During a summer vacation, a recruiter contacted me on LinkedIn and asked if I was interested. I would only have my current job if I were on LinkedIn.

I Had to Change

My career took a drastic turn once I started writing on LinkedIn. It began as a personal challenge. I wanted to be on a podcast and speak at a conference; those were my short-term goals.

I looked from a distance and saw people in my profession who did this regularly. It felt like something I should be doing. Why not me? That’s the question that drove me. When I see others excelling, I wonder why I can’t do the same thing. So I took a leap of faith and started sharing my thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a public setting for many people to see. Once I did that, my goals were instantly accomplished.

What also happened on LinkedIn?

The workplace is limited to your company and the projects you have access to. However, how do you learn past what you’re exposed to every day? This is where the community helps. Sometimes, I have an idea that I want confirmation on. Sometimes, I want to hear about what other companies are working on.

Building a community requires me to move past my natural tendency to avoid talking to people and being afraid of what people think of what I say. People are not a hindrance to my growth, they are a source of it.

Evolution of Work

The future of our industry is local community and human connection. The pandemic showed us that humans need in-person contact with other humans. The remote and hybrid world many of us live in has left a void. Many of us grew our careers from being in the office daily and learning from our peers daily. We would overhear conversations we weren’t supposed to be listening to and ask questions. At the last second, we would get pulled into meetings we didn’t need to be in. That has all changed.

Local data communities are popping up around the country. I’m part of a group that organizes a community in the metro Detroit area. If you told me five years ago that I would be helping to lead professional networking opportunities, I would say you’re crazy. However, I surprise myself sometimes. I’ve met many amazing people who live in my local area.

Conferences are expensive to attend.  If a company struggles to hit its revenue targets, training, and travel are among the first things to get cut.  So, finding a community near you or even remote is a better chance of you continuing to learn. The responses have been excellent after organizing a few of them this year. People are often looking for ways to connect in person.

“That Guy” at Conferences

I’m a big fan of attending data conferences. Rarely do I go because my leader asked me to. I sought out those opportunities and requested to attend. However, in the past, I enjoyed attending the sessions for the material and content but hated talking to people. I would go to the session and leave immediately to return to my hotel room. In retrospect, I laugh at myself for doing that. That has changed because I’ve changed. I now get more value from the conversations in the hallways or lobbies of the conference versus the actual sessions.

What Comes Next?

I have no idea what my career will look like in the next year, let alone five years. However, I know it will be based on the community of peers I have around me.

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