Have you ever heard the phrase “It’s not what you know, but who you know” before? When I was going through the job search routine, I certainly saw that played out in my own experience. My current boss is a friend of a woman I had an informational interview with last year. Now, I’m not sure how much of a difference it made in the long run, but it certainly didn’t hurt my case any to have a sort of common ground from the moment I walked into the interview. However, I know that the chance of that exact situation happening for someone else is very slim, but WorkBlast is a potential solution.
According to their “About” page:
WorkBlast helps you market your talents to the world and connects you with valuable resources and professionals. Whether you’re looking to increase sales, market your skills, find a new Opportunities, grow your business, promote your product or service, fill vacant Opportunities, or simply get connected to people who can help you advance your career, WorkBlast is for you.
I spent a few minutes fiddling around with the site, and it seems like it could be genuinely useful. Like most Career 2.0 options, the tool’s power comes from the community. As more users log on and start networking, the site will become more valuable. There are options for attaching videos, resumes, and other documents to enhance your profile. After joining, I checked to see who else there was in my area, but I’m the only one. And in my field, there are only five people (including myself).
While that seems like relatively few people, I know there are at least four people on there in my field who are interested in networking, and I plan to contact them as soon as possible, because I believe our best opportunities for advancement come from learning from others. Plus, those are four people who I would never have a chance to meet otherwise.
Pros: Straight-to-the-point networking via profession or location.
Cons: Limited number of participants means it may be tough to find anyone local.
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