Some things have remained the same over time, including the propensity for people to be more interested in hiring those with whom they have formed a relationship or have had interaction, assuming all the qualifications are there, of course. Think about it- if you needed to hire a lighting designer for a show that you were working on and had a working relationship with a designer who you thought would do a great job with it, wouldn't you want to hire them rather than a stranger with whom you've never had any interaction? Once upon a time, networking meant meeting people, being introduced at parties, or through your co-workers. It was entirely dependent on who you knew, not to mention being in the right place at the right time. You also got jobs or recommendations when someone else was able to pipe up and say "what about young Johnson? He's got all the makings of a great designer and I owe him a favor after he saved my show when my director needed last minute changes" and voila, you're in the door. These days, thanks to professional networking sites, you can make those connections yourself. It really means something to have your name known to the big kahunas in the game, as long as it's a favorable association. Using a professional networking website to connect yourself means that people have instant, easy access to your resume (in this case, your profile serves as your resume) as well as the inability to interact with you in a number of capacities, be it one-on-one, in forums, or by participating in a blogging project together. If you are already doing some of your social networking online, why not shift that into using a professional social networking website so that you can kill two birds with one stone? Ultimately, your choices are pretty great, as you can do both in plenty of venues. And of course, you might just find that in the process of making business contacts you end up making some friends in the process (or vice versa). When you think about the benefits of either, there's really not much to lose. The key to having success in this arena is to make sure that you are representing yourself well online. Choose a professional user name, and one that corresponds to how you want to be known, whether that is by your personal name or your company name. Upload video, pictures or audio clips demonstrating your skills. Making your profile is a fancy way of making your resume work for you, even when you're not sending it to anyone specific.
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