Professional networking in the world of athletic training is crucial as I know that it is to so many other fields of expertise. The athletic training world is a small one as they say and we all know that a lot of the time is isn’t always what you know but who you know. I think that there are some amazing resources out there for professional networking such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., but I think that to start a relationship and to get someone to know you, it has got to first be face to face. Now, I understand that this may not always be possible and that the social media sites afford us the opportunity to connect with professionals that we would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet, but I must stress that I think the face to face method cannot be overlooked. For this reason, I try not to pass up opportunities to meet other athletic training professionals and do my best to network with others at district meetings and conferences. I believe that getting out there is half of the battle and I am grateful that as a student I went to several of these conferences and met some amazing people that have ended up helping me or me helping them in one way or another.
I am not suggesting that the online networking is not going to be beneficial, but I think that the more people that can put your face to your name and can spread the word about you both on a personal level and on a social media level, the better off you will be when it comes to networking opportunities.
I am not suggesting that the online networking is not going to be beneficial, but I think that the more people that can put your face to your name and can spread the word about you both on a personal level and on a social media level, the better off you will be when it comes to networking opportunities.