Want to connect with me? Send me a note #LinkedIn #Facebook #SocialMedia #Networking #Rant

I hate spam passionately. There are few things that piss me off more than being bombarded via email or social media about products for which I don't give two damns. These days, with the proliferation of bots and malware, spam can also represent a security issue. I suspect it's probably already happened to me, but …

A few tips for #networking

Last month, I got an email from my alma mater about a new networking forum that they developed (if you're a Syracuse University engineering or computer science alumnus or student, check it out). I signed up for it, and I've been fairly active on it, posting about some of my own activities and dispensing my …

Social media: should I stay or should I go?

I don't think I have to mention just how prevalent social media is these days. If you're reading this 'blog, most likely you're engaged in some form of social media. Terms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are a regular part of daily life these days. It's gotten to the point that these terms have …

Putting the “professional” in professional networking

I recently saw a couple of posts that left me shaking my head. The first was a tweet from a couple of weeks ago. This came from a #SQLFamily person whom I follow on Twitter. I don't really know her well, but we do have several mutual friends, and I know her by reputation. She …

Selling your business on LinkedIn

Yesterday, I got into a conversation with a friend of mine who told me that he disagreed with me about my LinkedIn networking practices. He, like me, has his own business. He told me why he disagreed with me, and what he told me was very intriguing. I've been using LinkedIn primarily as a networking …

My #JobHunt presentation is online #PASSProfDev @PASS_ProfDev @CASSUG_Albany #SQLFamily #ProfessionalDevelopment

If you missed my job hunt presentation, it is now available on YouTube. Click here to view my presentation! Additionally, my presentation slides can be downloaded from here!

How to (and how NOT to) connect on #LinkedIn

Lately, it seems like I've been getting more and more request to connect on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the go-to social networking tool for connecting with people professionally. Ever since I (1) announced that I was looking for a new job, and (2) announced that I'd started a new LLC, the number of connect requests I've …

I am #JobHunting again #Networking #SQLFamily

I just got the word this morning. I was informed that my contract will end at the end of the month. I did not see this coming. I was blindsided by this. After an almost three-year run, I am, once again, looking for a job. I enjoyed working in this position, and it was a …

No cold calls!!!

This is something that is one of my biggest pet peeves. I've written about this before. Because it keeps happening, I'm writing about this again. I often get requests to connect from people I don't know. I will only connect with people with whom I have some kind of established relationship. It's so bad that …

Ranting my frustration about connect requests

This article may seem to go against one of the things that I preach in my 'blogging presentation, and that is to avoid frustrated rants and "getting it out of your system." Maybe I should be a little more specific. One should avoid mindless rants in which you angrily spew your passions without any thoughts, …