The power of social media networking

I am very excited to be speaking today at the University of Chicago's Career Networking Event in Long Beach, California. As part of the featured panel, I will be discussing the wonderful world of social media networking and will also lead a roundtable discussion later in the day. I'm not gonna lie. I'm as excited as a kid in a candy shop!

Anyone who talks to me for more than two minutes, knows how much I love social media and revel in the opportunities that it provides. Today, I'm hoping to share that passion and convey to the audience the amazing adventures that await them if they immerse themselves in social media.

While I was putting together my slides for the presentation, it was kind of like a trip down memory lane. It was an excellent reminder of how much social media has given me: an incredible group of professional dynamos who I learn from every day, amazing new friends, wonderful networking opportunities, business leads, lots of smiles, and more satisfaction than could ever be measured.

That said, I need your help to illustrate the power of the social web to the folks who are attending the conference (virtual hugs and cyber brownies to the folks who help me out on this one). Many of today's attendees will be new to the world of social media; they may not realize the full value of all these great platforms, or may just think there's no value to any of it.

Luckily, I know many of you reading this already live and breathe social media and I'm hoping that you'll chime in on the comments to share your thoughts with the newbies (I'll be directing the event attendees to this post). How has social media has helped you? Why would you recommend social media networking to those looking for employment, job leads, business opportunities, or career growth?

For those of you who will hear my speech today, why not use this opportunity to dive right in and see what the fuss is all about? Leave a comment here, send a tweet to someone who adds to our discussion, click on people's names so you can learn more about them (you might discover a cool website or blog, an interesting person to connect with on Twitter, a contact worth reaching out to on LinkedIn, your new best friend, or your next career opportunity!). I'm serious when I tell you these tools are a real game changer.

It's a wonderful new world out there. Thanks to social media, opportunity is right at your fingertips. No one and nothing is further away than a keystroke. I think that's pretty spectacular, don't you?

* Thank you to Derek Okada for inviting me to speak at the event and to the University of Chicago and its alumni chapter in Los Angeles for hosting such a valuable program for those who want to learn and grow.