Business Networking Online
Email this article to a friend 
Print this Article
As the old adage goes, “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know,” and never has that been truer than in this virtual day and age. Social networking sites, especially those geared toward business networking, are no longer about personal frivolity—they can be powerful tools to aid your career. However, with these sites becoming more utilized and plentiful daily, it’s hard to know which is best for you. Below are our top four.
LinkedIn.com With over 16 million registered users spanning 150 different industries all around the world, the power of LinkedIn is clearly in its size. Targeting 25-to-65-year-olds, the service allows you to easily maintain existing first-degree connections as well as form new relationships via second-degree connections. Once you join, you create a personal profile that includes your education, work experience, and photo. While there is no cost to join, there is a fee (anywhere from $60 to $2,000 per year) for premium accounts, which include additional tools that allow you to search and contact people outside your network.
Xing.com Xing has almost 3.5 million users and is primarily focused on helping professionals establish networks internationally. Once you register on the site, you create a personal profile, including your résumé, and begin exchanging information with other members. A monthly paid membership is required for several additional features, like messaging people who you are not directly connected to.
Ryze.com Made up of 500,000 users in 200 countries, Ryze members receive a free networking home page where they can post profiles, bios, and photos. Users are urged to create long lists of personal interests, which allow them to contact members with the same interests. Similar to Xing, Ryze is free to join but includes the option of upgrading to a paid gold membership.
Doostang.com Doostang has 250,000 members and was inspired by a Stanford University study that found that 70% of jobs are discovered through networking. Targeting 20-to-35-year-olds, the site is more elitist than others, with an “invite only” policy and the majority of its users hailing from both high-end finance jobs and the country’s top schools. Once invited, individuals create a profile, post their résumé, and search and apply for jobs. A premium membership is available, which gives you special access to the best opportunities, but it’s only for people who have added at least 20 new members to the community.