Getting linked in

Before I came to business school, I had a LinkedIn account but rarely used it. But over the past two years, I have grown to become quite a prodigious user of the professional networking site. Last night I attended a networking event called LinkedIn Live held at the office of a local public relations firm.

 

The evening was quite productive. I ran into a current second year at Kenan-Flagler, two Kenan-Flagler alums (one whom I have met before and the other who offered to help connect me to possible job contacts), a couple of recruiters, and someone from the company I interned at last summer. I was not surprised to run into so many people I already know because as one recruiter said last night, "Raleigh is the biggest small city."

 

Because the event was organized by the communications director of the email marketing firm that I have been interviewing with, there were many people there last night from that firm. This gave me the chance to meet more potential co-workers and one particular vice president whom I will almost definitely interview with on my next company visit. But it was not without a bit of awkwardness. At one point I spotted a guy hovering around and I decided to be jovial and bring him into the conversation. I quickly regretted it when he said "oh yea I see you work for (name of firm). I am interested in your product manager position."

 

That was one introduction I did not want to be a part of.