Feeling At Home: Build Your Networks Online

Posted on 07. Aug, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Relocation, Tools & Resources
1 comment

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and al are the modern-day equivalent of the letters of introduction that well-connected travellers used to carry.

These sites allow you to build and grow networks anywhere in the world, so put them to good use!

Contrary to popular opinion, this is not about “making friends” – it’s about tapping into a worldwide network of people who have the answers to your questions. It’s about making contact with local people whom you may never have met otherwise.

Two nights ago, I was hosting an expat meet-up in Vancouver. Many of the guests were very recent arrivals – they had been in town for maybe a month or two.

A young English couple shared their relocation strategy with us: they used Twitter to get information about virtually everything they needed to get set up in Canada, from how to get their Social Insurance numbers to what bank to use. As a result, they hit the ground running and got more sorted out in 2 weeks than most expats would in 2 months. Now that’s what I call a smart use of social media!

Another guest, who had just relocated from France, has begun using LinkedIn to research the local job market, make some professional contacts and find job leads through networking.

And the very reason why we were gathering to begin with is that we are all part of the online expat network InterNations.org. Many guests did not know a soul in Vancouver a month ago, and now they were all happily chatting, swapping travel stories and exchanging phone numbers. That certainly beats sitting at home brooding and wondering when you are finally going to start meeting people!

If you are not using any of these sites, you are cheating yourself of a wealth of information and a readily accessible network of local contacts. So why not make your life easier and start asking a few questions online?

If you would like to connect with fellow expats, I am always happy to put like-minded people in touch with each other. You can contact me on Twitter (@emmanuelle_a), connect with me on LinkedIn (Emmanuelle Archer) or leave a comment below to request an invitation to join InterNations.org. I hope to meet you online soon!

Emmanuelle

Images by 46137 (top) and kool_skatkat (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons