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Originally Posted by jhubbel
For certain generations, this is a great option- for baby boomer women, this is less attractive, and for many women in general, online networking doesn't work as well because women really value the in person connection. To wit: when males talk, they can sit side by side and only occasionally look at one another. Women will move their chairs or sit uncomfortably to allow themselves to face each other directly-- in order to study the up to 250,000 facial expressions the human face is capable of making. Online doesn't give you that; only in person. I will grant you some generational differences but for the most part women want to see their networking partners. They aren't the ones typically bragging about 10,000 Linked In members in their network, about whom they know very little. In fact, most of the women I speak to say they will not participate in Linked In precisely because they cannot speak to and get to know the members. It's something to keep in mind.
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Online networkers CAN speak and get to know the members. Most users start with contacts they know and use the tool to generate more contact and specific needs. When new contacts connect over a job opportunity or business deal, or re-connecting - they tend to talk and meet. I personally have been found to discuss my business offering, request to speak and I found candidates for executive searches using LinkedIn.
If I had to guess, my contacts on LinkedIn are 60/40, men. Close, I would guess to the break-up in my executive contacts in Outlook. In my exerience networking in person and online, I would generally agree with the charactoristics mentioned; I wonder how many women list the number of connections in their profile. But I would recommend that women everywhere take advantage of the opportunty to be found and find others needed for the initial contact and, then, meet!