Children Are Our Future

Whether we want them to be or not.

What value can we offer to new contacts? Networking experts emphasize that the connections we make with others are only as strong as the value we bring to those connections. However, many of us are new to the workforce; we don't have loyal clients, industry expertise, or other such resources that seem "valuable." In Never Eat Alone, author Keith Ferrazzi writes that everyone wants to improve his or her own health, wealth, and children. Helping a potential contact toward this end is a great way to add value to a relationship. You probably have little to contribute to a CEO's wealth, and it may be a bit invasive to give a senior executive diet and exercise advice. Your age is an asset, however, when you interact with their children. Kids literally and figuratively look up to recent graduates and young professionals. Parents hear about influential people in their kids' lives. Be one of them; it pays to have parents on your side. Here are some ways you can help yourself by helping kids:

• Coach - If you're athletically gifted, consider sharing your expertise with ankle-biters. Don't assume, though, that a knack for a sport translates directly into a knack for coaching that sport. Research the qualities and strategies of effective coaches. Bad coaching can lead to injuries and - worse - wrathful parents.
• Tutor - Tutoring is rewarding, a great way to make a little extra money, and requires relatively little of your time. Check local schools and tutoring services to find out how you can get involved.
• Mentor - Reach out to teenagers with interests similar to yours. They might love to talk about gaming, Spanish, chess, etc. with an "expert." You may not think of yourself as an authority on a subject, but in their eyes you are. It's up to you to initially contact a teenager; most will be too intimidated to contact you.
• Babysit - Daycares now have waitlists and nannies cost a small fortune. Offer to babysit the children of family friends and neighbors. Parents appreciate coaches, tutors, and mentors, but they desperately need babysitters. The downside of this gig: baby body excrements.

Any other ideas?

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It's the monosyllabic with which great relationships begin. BIZ PLOP is a blog about networking for new professionals. The name of this blog is part onomatopoeia, part metaphor, and part subject reference. "Biz plop" is the sound a fishing line and bobber make as the cast line buzzes through the guides and the bobber subsequently plunks into the water. We who are new professionals "fish" often - for references, mentors, jobs, and friends - in an attempt to establish a network and grow professionally. Because we are new to the "biz," however, we face unique challenges in building our networks and personal brands. BIZ PLOP seeks to address those challenges, offer networking advice, and serve as an online forum for related discussions. With the support of a solid network, all goals are more attainable. Be a Big Fish in a Big Pond.