Other & Indirect Job Networking Opportunities

This is a sister list to SoCal Networking Event Organizations and focuses on any other Job Search or Business Networking opportunities. Please let me know if know of others to add, or if you have any feedback.

Professional Associations, Groups, Societies & Events Directories:
See my details, descriptions and commentary on SoCal Networking Event Organizations.

• www.weddles.com/associations A nation-wide directory, categorized by industry/job.
• networkingeventfinders.com A nation-wide directory, broken down by state then region. View as listing or calendar. Includes specific events.
• meetingsandmixers.com/events/calendar/index.php (manually select Los Angeles, Orange Country, San Diego, or the region you're interested in) includes many chamber of commerce meetings, and business networking organizations like BNI, Le Tip, TEAM, etc.
• la.garysguide.org/events Business events in LA (and across the World)

Online Professional "Social" Networking & Branding, and Events:
Most of these sites allow the posting of a profile (resume-like), contact info, company info, and allows you to establish "connections". Some have some additional features: internal email system, "status" updates & feeds, groups, discussions, recommendations, blogging or blog feeds, jobs, and 3rd party extensions that extend functionality. Most have premium services and features. Since many offer a similar feature set, you'll have to decide where to focus your attention.

• linkedin.com and events: events.linkedin.com: The premier professional site, using self reported info, and is very "social". See also my article How do you get to 500+ LinkedIn connections? (Without being a LION?)
• www.naymz.com: very similar to LinkedIn. Looks promising but I haven't tried it yet. Can't find a specific events link.
• xing.com  and events: www.xing.com/events Also very similar to LinkedIn. I created a simple profile and also used it to get into a couple groups, but not for contacts.
• twitter.com You get a username, a brief bio, a single link, connections, and status updates.
• www.zoominfo.com This is a registry of Companies and Contacts. No social aspects, no events.
• www.jigsaw.com: This is a registry of Companies and Contacts, in which getting info costs "points", and where info is submitted by OTHERS to get "points". No social aspects, no events. I'm not a fan.

Outplacement Firms:
These companies are normally hired by your former company for a certain set of service for a certain amount of time. If this isn't a policy of theirs, ASK during your severance/layoff discussions. I've also heard that some employees have successfully convinced their former companies to extend their programs. These are just some of the common ones.

• right.com Right Management
• www.lhh.com/Careertransition/Pages/default.aspx Lee Hecht Harrison
• www.challengergray.com Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, Inc. See my write-up of their LA (and OC) events in the Networking Event Organizations section)

YOUR Previous Job - Alumni "groups":
Just because you no longer work for them, it doesn't mean they don't have anything to offer. Consider these ideas.

• Some companies offer in-house outplacement, job fairs, and other services
• LinkedIn has many Alumni groups for companies, official or unofficial
• Check Facebook (and other Social Sites, below) for Networks, Group, and Pages also!

More Social Ideas - Network Everywhere:
These are generally more social than business, but you never know. Some of these are SoCal specific, but they may have a broader reach, or at least consider them as ideas for what to look for in your area.

• flavorpill.com/losangeles "Flavorpill is an open network of culturally connected people." See their main site for other regions.
• Getty Center's Saturday Nights (formerly Fridays off the 405) Art performances, a cash bar, and an upscale crowd make these a great night "from fall to spring."
• Yahoo's "Upcoming" Events of all types across the World. Here's Los Angeles County, CA, Orange County, CA, and San Diego County, CA.
• meetup.com every type of (usually repeating) get-together you can imagine, across the world. Search within zip codes or cities, or by distance.
• socializr.com similar to Evite (but public listings) and Meetup. US only. Search by Zip code or in Los Angeles.
• www.toastmasters.org Learn public speaking and presentations (and maybe a thing or two about a thing or two).
• www.ning.com Find a social network (or create your own) for almost anything imaginable. Somewhat similar to Facebook but each network revolves around an interest. Search by keywords.
• groups.yahoo.com find or create a group around an interest, host discussions, file, pictures, etc. Search by keywords or browse categories.
• groups.google.com very similar to Yahoo groups above.
• www.groupsite.com Find a social network (or create your own) for almost anything imaginable. Somewhat similar to Facebook and Ning.
• www.facebook.com of course, search events, or view your friend's events.
• www.eventbrite.com/ hosts general event listings. Search by city or zip.
• InterNations (IN) - "the Network for Expatriates and Global Minds." It's a mostly full-service social network. I've signed up, attended two LA events (see my write-up in the Networking Event Organizations section), and meet more than a few interesting people. Besides Community Ambassador sponsored events, members may post their own. Worth checking out. By invitation (or can request own invitation).
• BlackPlanet "the largest Black community online" also with Professional and Job sections. Also owned by the same parent company is MiGente the "largest Latino-American community online."
• Other International/Multinational social networking sites include Bebo (Europe), Orkut (popular in Brazil & India), Piczo, StudiVZ (German-speaking mostly, but sister sites for other European countries).
• Mashable (The Social Media Guide)'s Events Blog - These are mostly conferences and one-off events, nationally. Or get only those items as an RSS Feed via Yahoo Pipes.
• ASMALLWORLD (ASW) - "international network of people who are connected by three degrees of separation." By limited invitation only. It's a mostly full-service social network. A mix of unique and cross-over events are posted by members; there doesn't seem to be an equivalent to IN's Community organization and events.
• French Tuesdays (FT) offers "contemporary men and women entrée to a network of successful individuals and a world of couture nightlife and entertainment. " Events (with strict attire requirements), discussions, and groups, etc. In about 20 US cities and more around the world. By invitation only; entry "Web Members" can only register for 2 events per year (but can be a guest of others).

Volunteer - Network while doing "good":
Look for a well-run organization, and a position with some responsibility. Find one that matches or complements your career. For myself, I'm reinforcing my DR/BCP skills by volunteering for CERT and Red Cross. And if you really commit, list your dedicated volunteer experience on your resume like a job!

• www.idealist.org
• www.volunteermatch.org
• servenet.org
• volunteerism.meetup.com a special Meetup portal for volunteering, with upwards of 500 groups.
• americorps.gov to matches you: "AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups."
• handsonnetwork.org find opportunities in "more than 250 communities across the country and 11 international locations."

Other - keep your mind open.

• Read your local business journals, such as the Los Angeles Business Journal or San Diego Business Journal or San Ferando Valley Business Jornal to find out abut business events, where the job market is going, who's hiring, and say on top of your target companies' news.
• California EDD (Employment Development Department) Jobs and Training check for networking events and job fairs and training opportunties.
• Find (and Create) Tweetups at: tweetvite.com, twtvite.com, findtweetups.com, and tweetup.meetup.com. Or try a custom Twitter Search such as search.twitter.com/search?q=+tweetup+near:%22Los%20Angeles,%20CA%22+within:25mi (modify it for your particulars).
• happn.in Find Twittered events and topics by locale by following (and taging): twitter.com/happn_in_la, twitter.com/happn_in_oc, and twitter.com/happn_in_sd