On reconnecting
I've been on a reconnecting kick lately, and I've been diligently finding and reaching out to old colleagues on Facebook and LinkedIn (situationally dictated, of course).
It's an interesting time to do so: I'm not looking for a job, although several of the people in my network are. Yet I wonder what my interest in connecting--now--says to my former coworkers and contacts.
Typically, building out one's social network happens in two phases: in a big blur when first joining a network, and again a few months later as momentum builds. I've been on Facebook a long while now, though, and my LinkedIn profile dates all the way to 2003.
Why, then, am I reaching out now? Curiosity and comprehensiveness, mostly. That's how I see it. But how do, say, my old Economist cubicle-mates read it? Am I hoping to hit them up for job leads? Ecommerce outsourcing opportunities? What might I want?
The truth is liberating enough, so I'm tick-ticking through my old names, building out my contacts as best I can. I've even updated my LinkedIn status line to indicate that I'm actually sourcing talent, not joining its pool. That plus a few lunches should go a long way. Besides, I'm an easy sell on lunch. Busy next week?