Don't wait for an opportunity to network: Create your own!

Now that I've got all this wonderful time on my hands, I'm rediscovering what it is that I enjoy doing. One of the things that I'm very passionate about is the German language. I lived in Germany for 2 years after college and loved the experience. Now that I'm back in the States, I haven't come across an outlet to practice speaking...until I started my own German Club.

The challenges: Am I ready for this big of a commitment? I don't know anyone who speaks German besides myself. If I were to find German speakers, would they want to join my Club?

First, I decided on a location, called them and made sure that it was alright to meet there (http://www.hessenhaus.com/). Then I contacted all of the people on http://www.meetup.com/ who had expressed an interest in the German language to let them know about the Club. I called all of the high schools and universities in the area to find out if they had a German language program. If they did, I left the teachers/professors a message or sent them an email about the Club. (Sadly, German isn't being taught much anymore!) I told everyone I knew that I was starting a German Club. I also posted an announcement on my social media sites and in local, online media. Through a combination of word of mouth, cold calls, and free online ad placements, we had our first German Club (Stammtisch) meeting a couple of weeks ago. It was a success!!!

The reason I'm telling you this is because you don't have to wait for an opportunity to network. If you have an interest/hobby that isn't already being served by a group/club, start your own and find others to join. This way, you'll meet new people who share a common interest AND network without even realizing it.

Visit the link on the right if you're interested in joining Stammtisch - Des Moines German Club. Our next meeting is Tuesday, 16-Jun from 6-8pm at Hessen Haus.