{"id":1899,"date":"2012-06-27T06:11:29","date_gmt":"2012-06-27T10:11:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=1899"},"modified":"2012-06-27T06:11:29","modified_gmt":"2012-06-27T10:11:29","slug":"nextavenue-org-why-women-should-join-networking-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=1899","title":{"rendered":"NextAvenue.org: Why Women Should Join Networking Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/NextAvenue_logo2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-1901\" title=\"NextAvenue_logo\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/NextAvenue_logo2-150x150.jpg?resize=150%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>I\u2019m a member of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetransitionnetwork.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">The Transition Network<\/a>, a nonprofit networking group for women over 50. It\u2019s based in New York, but lucky for me, the group has a great chapter in Washington, D.C., where I live.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The other day, the group\u2019s June newsletter landed in my inbox. It made me pull out my calendar and smile because I was invited to attend these events:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A talk by Suzanne Braun Levine, the first editor of\u00a0<em>Ms. Magazine<\/em>\u00a0and author of\u00a0<em>How We Love Now<\/em>, a book about relationships and intimacy in what Levine calls &#8220;second adulthood.&#8221; (Levine also writes for\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/expert\/suzanne-braun-levine\">Next Avenue<\/a>.)<\/li>\n<li>A potluck fundraising event to assist local, low-income women.<\/li>\n<li>A discussion of caring for each other as we age.<\/li>\n<li>An \u201cart safari\u201d to the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Asian Art.<\/li>\n<li>An evening with Botswana ambassador Tebelelo Seretse, who will talk about how she came to hold this prestigious position and the most important issues facing women in her country.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Transition Network is one of dozens of peer groups for women around the country. If you\u2019re not a member yet, I really encourage you to join. Networking not only can lead to job opportunities, it can expand your mind and social circle as well as help you prepare for retirement.<\/p>\n<p>As a Transition Network member, I always look forward to the chance to get out and shake some hands, connect, and learn something in the process\u2014even if it\u2019s just sharing ideas about how to use social media, talk about our dogs or make a date for a latt\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever I go to one of these networking events, I\u2019m struck by the vavoom in the room. And I usually make pals, which is a plus considering how hard it can be to establish new friends as you get older, particularly if you\u2019re not working in an office.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Transition Network<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Transition Network was co-founded in 2000 by Charlotte Frank, a former executive with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Christine Millen, then a partner at the consulting firm Deloitte &amp; Touche. Frank and Millen realized they were on the leading edge of a generation of women who were better educated, more ambitious\u2014and facing perhaps 30 years of retirement without a road map.<\/p>\n<p>So they launched a grassroots movement that &#8220;reimagines retirement,&#8221; a period Frank and Millen define as a series of transitions, a bridge from one career to another or from employment to volunteerism, advocacy or community service. Their goal was to build a national network of peer groups to share information and provide support for women embarking on the transition to retirement.<\/p>\n<p>Today, The Transition Network has more than 8,000 members in 11 states who meet in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco and Santa Fe. New chapters are forming in Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Portland, Ore. and Dayton, Ohio. (For details, send an email to info@thetransitionnetwork.org.) Memberships costs $70 to $135 a year, $40 if you live outside one of the chapter cities.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s the secret to the group\u2019s popularity? \u201cIt\u2019s the combination of women helping each other learn and grow through their support and inspiration,\u201d says Executive Director Betsy Werley.<\/p>\n<p>(MORE:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/blog\/how-are-women-really-doing-job-front\">How Are Women Really Doing On The Job Front?<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>I think women are attracted to peer events like the ones staged by The Transition Network because they provide opportunities to share what\u2019s going on in our lives. When I attend them, I have a gut sense that I\u2019ll meet someone who will know exactly what I\u2019m going through\u2014whether it\u2019s stress about a work project, learning to say no, managing my time better or figuring out how to zip through an airport with a mom in a wheelchair.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other Networking Groups for Women<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Growing numbers of networking groups around the country are forging their own paths for local women.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.projectrenewment.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Project Renewment<\/a>, for example, has more than 25 groups around the country. Their guide:<em>Project Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career Women,\u00a0<\/em>a book written by the group\u2019s founders, psychologist Bernice Bratter and workplace expert Helen Dennis.<\/p>\n<p>In Washington, D.C., Project Renewment members \u201care committed to making this phase of our life as awake and meaningful as we can,\u201d says Sheila Maher, who heads the chapter.<\/p>\n<p>(MORE:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/blog\/5-ways-women-can-increase-their-pay\">5 Ways Women Can Increase Their Pay<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Colleges are starting networking groups for women, too. For instance, my alma mater, Duke University, has Women\u2019s Forums in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Seattle, Denver and even London.<\/p>\n<p>Sterly Wilder, Duke\u2019s Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, says she&#8217;s been blown away by the response to these forums. \u201cAttendance is extraordinary,&#8221; she told me last week. &#8220;It demonstrates a real need for this kind of programming.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Networking peer groups are also springing up at churches, synagogues, Jewish Community Center groups and Junior League organizations.<\/p>\n<p>Online networking organizations have been bubbling up as well, including\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/Connect-Professional-Womens-Network-Powered-4409416\" target=\"_blank\">Connect: Professional Women&#8217;s Network, Powered by Cit&#8217;s Women &amp; Co.<\/a>, a group you&#8217;ll find on LinkedIn.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.85broads.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">85 Broads<\/a>\u00a0is, despite its name, an online network of 30,000 women who also meet in person at 36 chapters worldwide (annual membership fees range from $25 to $1,000). Its founding members were women who worked for Goldman Sachs at 85 Broad Street (hence the name), the investment bank\u2019s former headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>You might also consider joining a peer group associated with your profession, such as the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.womcom.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Association for Women in Communications<\/a>\u00a0(annual membership: $34 to $129) or\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fwa.org\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\">The Financial Women&#8217;s Association<\/a>\u00a0(annual membership: $150 to $295).<\/p>\n<p><strong>5 Networking Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re ready to mingle, here are my Top 5 networking tips:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Show up.<\/strong>\u00a0If you hear of a local event that sounds intriguing, push yourself to make room in your schedule. Get there early. The best time to schmooze is before things get rolling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Build relationships.<\/strong>\u00a0Networking isn\u2019t about finding someone to help you get a job today. It\u2019s a process of developing contacts gradually over time through people who connect with and trust each other.<\/p>\n<p>My networking often has nothing to do with work. I always write a quick note of congratulations when I find out someone in my group has had a child or send condolences if they\u2019ve had a loss. I try to introduce people to one another if I think they might make a connection, either personal or professional.<\/p>\n<p>I keep folks up to date on my life too\u2014within reason. Sometimes I seek advice, or ask if they know someone who might be willing to be interviewed for a story or to help me solve a problem.<\/p>\n<p>That goodwill comes back to me in spades. Some of the early members of my group send work my way or pop me a note that makes me feel good about something I\u2019ve achieved.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Be curious.<\/strong>\u00a0Networking is not work. It\u2019s about being interested in what other people are doing and being open to learning from them. I always ask questions at events and try to get people to talk about themselves. I spend twice as much time listening as I do talking.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Set goals.<\/strong>\u00a0Before heading to a new event, I tell myself that I\u2019ll try to meet three or four new people and get their contact information. Afterwards, I jot down a note on the back of their business cards reminding me where we met and what we discussed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Follow-up.<\/strong>\u00a0The day after the networking session, I send a note to my new connections, telling them how much I enjoyed meeting them and proposing a future date to get together informally. Email works fine, but, hey, if you\u2019ve got a personal notecard, send it! These days, we rarely receive mail other than bills, junk and magazines, so your recipient will be delighted to get your card\u2014and, perhaps, even more likely to become a devoted member of your personal network.<\/p>\n<h3>posted by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/expert\/kerry-hannon\">Kerry Hannon<\/a>, June 13, 2012\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextavenue.org\/expert\/kerry-hannon\">More by this author<\/a><\/h3>\n<p>Kerry Hannon has spent more than 25 years covering personal finance for Forbes, Money, U.S. News &amp; World Report, and USA Today. Her website is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">kerryhannon.com<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/#!\/KerryHannon\" target=\"_blank\">@kerryhannon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"NextAvenue.org: Why Women Should Join Networking Groups\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019m a member of\u00a0The Transition Network, a nonprofit networking group for women over 50. It\u2019s based in New York, but lucky for me, the group has a great chapter in Washington, D.C., where I live. The other day, the group\u2019s June newsletter landed in my inbox. It made me pull out my calendar and smile [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-small.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top:5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"StumbleUpon\",\"Digg\",\"Reddit\",\"Bebo\",\"Delicious\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"small\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"NextAvenue.org: Why Women Should Join Networking Groups\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,63],"tags":[64,93,94],"class_list":["post-1899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-next-avenue","category-women-and-money","tag-boomer-women","tag-networking","tag-transitions"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kerryhannon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/next-ave.gif?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3YFQS-uD","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1899"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1905,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1899\/revisions\/1905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}