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CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Friend File

Don't toss your old Rolodex. Social networks can help your career.

By Nancy Davis Kho

Organizing networks of former co-workers is hot again. Consulting firms like Bain & Co., which have extremely competitive winnowing processes for top consultant spots, first started alumni groups back in the 1980s. Early on, these companies recognized the benefits of hosting their own alumni networks. This allowed them to stay in touch with a pool of people they might wish to rehire – the so-called "boomerangs" – and with former staff who can be an invaluable source of employee and project referrals.

"Our alumni are often potential clients of Bain, may refer their own colleagues to the firm for projects and may even return to the firm to develop their consulting careers," says Frances McLaughlin, Bain's director of alumni relations.

Today, unlike in years past, these alumni groups can be established and maintained easily thanks to the wide reach of the Internet and the explosion of social networking sites like LinkedIn (linkedin.com) and Ryze (ryze.com). These sites make it simple to set up a virtual meeting spot for ex-employees. Free registration and an intuitive, streamlined setup process help even the least computer-savvy set up a professional looking group site in 10 minutes or less.

A quick survey of "former employees" on the Yahoo! Groups site turned up more than 2,000 groups, where members post messages about job leads, add links and upload photos using tools supplied for free by the online information portal.

Sue Connelly, president of Connelly Communications, created the KIT List (Keep inTouch) e-mail list to do just that with friends she made while consulting at Silicon Graphics in Mountain View, Calif. When the company initiated layoffs, the list (kitlist.org) served as a job resource and a place for moral support during tough times. "These days, finding a job really boils down to staying connected," Connelly says.

Victoria Lavi landed a senior marketing manager position at ActivCard (now ActivIdentity) that was posted on the KIT List. "When I applied for the job, the hiring manager was able to check my references through people he knew," Lavi says. And the network gave much more information about Lavi's capabilities than an old-fashioned résumé.

Co-workers wishing to connect on the Web start by checking their former employer's home page for information, or by doing a search on the Internet. If nothing turns up, many set up their own group using one of the services listed above. E-mailing contacts from a former job helps spread the word. Those who do this and include the link to their new alumni website are often amazed at how quickly their contact files fill up.

Nancy Davis Kho, member of two former employee networks (she founded a third), is the director of business development for Global Reports (global-reports.com) and was hired by a colleague from a former job.