More folks that work in the IT business need to get out and get involved in the technology community. There are so many organizations out there these days that specialize in topics that we as IT professionals can benefit from. Not only from a technological standpoint, but also from the networking and socialization aspect.
In attending the most recent VMworld conference, I was again amazed about how small the world really is. You talk to these folks from all over the world; we all tweet back and forth, post on the communities sites, and send email. WOW, email, does anyone do that anymore? Just kidding, but the point is, by getting together with the people in the field that actually do the work, we can put names and handles to faces. When you meet these folks; you realize that they are the same as you, and going through the same obstacles in their job functions as you do. There is a lot that can be learned from just hearing others talk about their experiences. You never know, it may help you out in the future to solve a problem in your company.
I’d like to call out a couple of organizations that I have had the pleasure of being a part of over the last few years.
Twitter – @MyVMUG
I have been a part of the VMware users group since 2005, and have been a part of the leadership in the Kansas City Market since 2007. This organization has come a long way in putting out of message of VMware Virtualization, and bringing together people from all different types of technology positions.
Twitter – @KCITP
This organization started as a LinkedIn group by Mike Gelphman, who has done a tremendous job in organizing and putting the word out about networking events with our peers. Mike has also done a wonderful job of cross-promoting another organization, the VMUG.
Social networking has made these types of groups explode in membership over the years. LinkedIn and Twitter have accelerated the growth of these organizations in order to reach many more customers and end users than ever before. I would encourage all IT professionals to become more involved in their technology community. If you are in an area that doesn’t have the type of group that you are looking for, start one. It’s as easy as creating a group on LinkedIn, and advertising it with Twitter, Facebook, etc. If you are looking to enhance your knowledge about a product, start by searching for groups on LinkedIn, and doing hash tag searches in Twitter.
By involving yourself in the IT Community, not only do you benefit your career knowledge, but your company as well. The wealth of knowledge is limitless in this realm.Good luck!
