Human networking

[Scott Ehrlich]

Hello to all:

Through my job searching, I've found various interesting positions to
which I have applied, and fielded a few questions from list members along
the way.

Of the job postings I've scoured, with the overwhelming talent that
currently exists in the market, human networking has become ever more key
in at least gaining an interview for most any preferred job.

Of the lists this message has been sent, there is an abundance of talent
within the Eastern Massachusetts area, and I know there are list members
who are not from or in the area, but maintain some kind of connection
to this area, too.

I propose a networking email list to bring everyone together in one
central place.  I know about Linked In, Monster's networking, and other
similar web sites, but they seem to cater to the country, if not the
world, can cost money, and are just too generic.  I'm looking to bring
together the IT talent that exists for the Metro Boston/Eastern
Massachusetts area, and help people connect.

An argument can be made that user groups are made for this, but there are
some who cannot make it to such meetings, and user groups can tend to
attract only those people interested in the niche of that group, and many
IT people simply are not good with human interaction/networking, and feel
more comfortable behind a keyboard.


Some areas I feel such a central list would help are to:

- gain an inside connection with an organization
- gain a feel for an organization's environment when applying for or
  interviewing at said organization
- assist people in transition from one professional area to another or one
  aspect of life to another

and many other ideas...


To help kick-start this idea, I have created a group called

		boston-area-it at yahoogroups.com

I welcome everyone to join, introduce yourselfs, and let's all start to
meet who-is-who.   Pizza, beer, and soda are on the way ;-)


Thank you all.

Scott