I’ve touched on the importance of networking in the past, but after participating in the HIMSS Virtual Career Fair earlier this week, where I witnessed the power of networking firsthand, I’m a firm believer.
Usually at live events one-on-one interfaces are the norm, or you hear about a good connection someone has made. With the virtual environment, all of the dialogue and connections were on display for everyone to see in the networking lounge and it was a really impressive sight to behold. Employers and job seekers from all over the country were chatting, sharing information and moving their conversations offline. The participants were from both ends of the spectrum and in between, as were the topics being discussed.
Most of the job seekers put themselves out there by explaining what position they were looking for and if they were experienced, a student or transitioning into health IT from another field. Recruiters and employers responded with a position that matched. Others who started out entry level and moved their way up offered insight and encouragement. Everything was in real time.
What was interesting is how many attendees, in response to employers who were interested in taking their conversation offline, directed employers to their LinkedIn profile often in lieu of providing an email address.
Live events are great – the face to face exchange can’t be discounted – but we live in a digital world. Virtual events are here to stay and so is social networking. When the two combine, it’s very impactful. Being able to communicate effectively, whether in person or online, is an important skill to possess.
E.J. Fechenda is the Audience Data Manager for MedTech Media. Since 2008 she has helped manage Healthcare Finance JobSpot and Healthcare IT JobSpot - now merged with HIMSS JobMine. She is not a Human Resources professional, nor a healthcare expert, but over the years she's accumulated a lot of feedback and insight from both job seekers and employers alike. Each week E.J. will deliver a blog based on this information. One week will be employer focused and the next week, job seeker focused.
