Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
Why do people hate networking?
My guess is you've had one of two reactions:
A) Going "right on, brother" and wondering just why people don't like it.
B) Nodding and saying "yeah, it's really annoying."
If you're in the "A" category, hang in there, we're going to explore some psychology. If you're in the "B" category . . . well hang in there and listen to the exploration because we're talking about you. Don't get embarrassed.
Have you taken a look at your fannishness lately and seen what you can mine for your career?
Every now and then, when I'm evaluating the next steps in my career, updating my LinkedIn.com profile, and similar activities, I like to review what I do as the total geek that I am. I review it because there's often a lot of useful things you can use in your career that you miss.
Surprises are a key to your career.
That of course sounds like a shocking statement, doesn't it? Aren't we supposed to plan our careers and navigate them carefully? How is it that surprise can help you with your career? How can sheer randomness help you?
For that matter surprises are, well, surprising. How do you work those into your career?