Any experienced professional or career expert will tell you that networking is important. Especially, if you are looking for new opportunities. LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional networking sites. Chances are that you already have an account on the platform.
With that being said, creating an account on other sites can definitely increase your job and networking opportunities. That is why we have listed the best professional networking sites other than LinkedIn.
The Dots
The Dots describes itself as “the professional network for people who don’t wear suits to work.” This platform is very much like LinkedIn. It allows you to find jobs. It connects you to people who work in your field.
It has an open forum where you can ask questions. Through your post, you can request a job, find people to collaborate with you, collect opinions, review your resume or ask for any kind of professional help. However, your question that will appear on people’s home page can only contain 140 characters. Similar to Twitter, you are supposed to grab people’s attention within that limit so that they click on it. This is where any additional information will be displayed and this can be as long as 3500 characters.
The Dots is also a website where you can discover events that are either paid or free. Most of the suggested events are organised by companies that you follow. When you go to a company’s page you will find talents who have contributed to the organisation.
Like LinkedIn, you can send connection requests to people you want to connect with. Except, when you want to message a connection, The Dots limits you to 1000 characters. Other than that, you can also follow the topics you are interested in.
Opportunity
Opportunity is a site that lets you find jobs and network with people like LinkedIn. In addition to that, there is a separate section for creating sales leads. Unlike any other professional networking sites, Opportunity also has a dating feature that you can use to find people of a similar profession to date. It creates a unique profile for each section. For instance, when creating your job search section, it asks about your skills. While making your sales lead profile, it asks what products you are selling or buying.
Once Opportunity collects your information, it uses artificial intelligence to connect you to people whose answers match yours. The exact reason why your profile got connected to another is written in green. For instance, if you are a writer for an online media and your connection is an editor at another online media, online media is written in green.
You do not have to wait for approval to send a message as Opportunity connects you automatically. That is why it is best to answer all the questions accurately. Moreover, Opportunity has a blog with career advice on different topics.
While Opportunity has several features, it has one downfall when it comes to the user experience. The site’s page is fully visible only when your system’s screen layout is set to 100%. With the recommended usually being 150%, the text size is small and not easy to read. Unfortunately, the site does not let you scroll to the sides if you want to continue using your preferred screen size.
Meetup
Meetup focuses exclusively on networking and does not have a job board. When creating a profile, this site collects your interests. After which, it lists the events happening near your location. It also shows groups that you can join. These groups usually host events. It is more like joining a club where you can network with people of similar interests.
With search bars that let you type in keywords and location, you can explore events and groups from any part of the world. Once you find a group you like, you can check out details like its past events, members’ names, discussions and more.
There are virtual events that you can participate in from any location. However, there is no filter to search for online events happening all over the world. Your location search should specify a particular place. Meetup is a great resource for people looking to relocate to a different city. As they can connect you to people globally.
Moreover, you can also create your own group with Meetup. There are paid plans for it. If you are interested in joining Meetup, you can sign in via an email, Facebook account, Google account and Apple account.
Xing is a multi-language networking platform with sites in English, Spanish, French, Deutsch and Italian. Only the menu changes to your desired language. The posts are all in their original language – either English or German.
Like LinkedIn, you can use Xing to find jobs, build your network and follow companies. In addition to that, you can join groups and discover events on the platform. Xing’s campus menu is best for students and anyone looking for an entry-level job. It helps you find a job based on your field of study.
Xing allows you to filter your search letting you only find the best results. When looking for a job, you can ensure that the options match different categories. These include your career level, type of employment, interested industries, salary range and degree.
Slofile
If you are or were a part of your company’s slack group, you were sent a link to join the private. There are many other Slack groups that are open to the public. Slofile, which was created by software engineer Morio Okumura, helps you find them.
All you have to do is type in the keyword(s) that indicate your interests or filter the categories. It will list all the public slack groups that match your search. Once you find the right group just click on the slack group link. Submit an application by answering the questions asked by the select group. Then wait for the approval. Also, unlike other professional networking sites, Slofile does not ask you to create a profile.
With Slofile you can get in touch with people who share your interests. It does not have to be just something in relation to your job. Say you love coffee not just to drink but also to talk about. Then you can use Slofile to find coffee experts.
