by Kara Wahlgren
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Ask anyone in any industry what the key to professional success is, and they'll likely give you a one-word answer: Networking. In the competitive job market, a network of peers is crucial; no matter what degree you hold, you can't discount the importance of who you know.
But can an online classroom provide the sense of community that's so vital to your personal and professional growth? Is it possible to build a connection with classmates you never see? Absolutely, say eLearning supporters. In fact, they claim that cyber-networking is not only possible, but also proves more convenient and wide-ranging than in-class interaction.
Not sure how to create your own personal network? Students, university directors, and networking experts offer their tips for forging offline bonds with online classmates.
Take Advantage
Online universities didn't overlook networking when creating their curriculum. The majority of schools offering such programs provide an extensive variety of networking opportunities, including message boards, e-mail, student portals, instant messaging, and more. If your school offers a service, take advantage of it.
"There's a portal all students can log into, whether they're online or on-campus. And most classes have a threaded message board, which is like a watercooler forum - a social forum where students can have asynchronous discussions," says Dr. Tim Green, director of distance education at California State University, Fullerton. "Most of the courses have networking within them. It's just like a face to face class; the more you're involved as student, the better off you're going to be."
Get the Message
In most online courses, networking isn't just encouraged - it's mandatory. Unlike traditional classrooms, where communication is optional and often limited to the students who sit closest to you, most distance education programs write networking into the syllabus. "You have no choice," says Pearline Kerr, a business administration student at Thomas Edison State College (TESC). "You must post a certain number of responses on the message board per week, and you have to try to respond to everyone."
Kerr transferred to TESC from the University of Phoenix, where she found the same high level of interaction with her online classmates.
For her, eLearning has filled her address book with those she might not have met in a college classroom. "You learn a lot more, because there are people from all walks of life," she says. "In a classroom, you don't know what the other person does [for a living] unless you ask them. But online, the assignments require conversation, and you share information about your profession."
Sandy Maresca, a master's of education student at Walden University, agrees. "We're required to post a certain number of things per week, but I find myself doing more than is required because we go back and forth so much with questions and discussions," she says.
Talk in Class
"Jump in and take the opportunity to 'see' who's in your class, even though you don't actually see them," Dr. Green advises. Go above and beyond the mandatory responses and form a social connection. Use the school's services to ask classmates about their goals, past experiences, and interests. "Get to know your classmates. You get jobs and leads because of friends and contacts you've made." If you don't feel comfortable posting idle chatter on the official boards - or if your professor discourages it - consider starting your own board.
"You have to be proactive about it, because you're not sitting next to somebody where you can make small talk," says Donna Fisher, author of "Power Networking" (Bard Press, 2000). "You have to make the conversation happen. If somebody in the class can initiate a message board, everybody will have a place where they can share their career goals."
Start a Team
In traditional classrooms, students often team up to tackle difficult assignments or projects. Likewise, eLearners are encouraged to form online study groups with their peers. To facilitate team spirit, many professors regularly assign group projects or require participation in e-mail groups.
"At the University of Phoenix, you have to work in groups," Kerr says. "When you go into the group mailbox, the system takes attendance. You have to be logged on at least five days out of the week."
Even if a school doesn't impose minimums on group discussions, students can set up their own study groups - and when the groups meet online, there are fewer problems with scheduling conflicts. "I always put together study groups when I was working on my graduate degrees, and used those as a way of talking through ideas," says Dr. Ivan Misner, author of "Masters of Networking" (Bard Press, 2000) and founder of Business Network International, an Upland, CA-based business and professional networking organization. "One of our challenges was that we could only get together once a week, but we often needed to talk more than that. Communicating online is a great way to supplement a study group."
Put in Face Time
"Nothing beats looking someone in the eye and having a conversation," Dr. Misner says. "Online networking works best when it's supplemented by an in-person relationship."
If it's possible, meet with your classmates. Visit your school's campus and take advantage of study lounges, libraries, or events. Or arrange a social event at a local restaurant where classmates can match a face to a screen name.
If you're sharing a cyber classroom with students across the country, it may not be possible to meet everyone. What you can do, however, is join local chapters of national associations where you can connect with people in your industry.
And even if you never have the chance to meet in person, you can bond with classmates by letting your personality shine through. "It's very important online to do as much as you can to make yourself personable, so it's not just mechanical - so you're a real person on the other end of the e-mail," Fisher says.
Keep People Posted
Shed new light on a subject, and you'll earn yourself a long-standing reputation as an expert. If you have strong opinions on a course or subject, Fisher recommends starting a Web log (blog). These serve as cyber outlets for expression; you can share your thoughts on the current lesson or your research. "Let everybody know that your blog is a place where you'll be sharing your ideas about the class," Fisher says.
For a more low-key approach, keep an eye out for articles or Web sites that may be useful to your classmates. If there's a breaking news story that's relevant to the current class topic, post it on the message board; if you come across a study that relates to a classmate's term paper, e-mail the link.
"Help people get the things they want before you need something from them," Dr. Misner says. "It's the law of reciprocity. Just send them a URL or an article they'd be interested in. It'll help you build social capital." Translation: You'll earn a network of friends who "owe you one" when you start job-hunting. Through message boards and e-mail groups, cyber classrooms may actually provide better networking opportunities than traditional classrooms, as long as you know how to take advantage of them. After all, every student has the chance - and, often, the obligation - to interact with everyone in the course, and to do so on their own terms.
"I was posting questions on the board last night at 3 a.m.," Maresca says. "I think I network more than I would in a classroom, and I get a lot more out of it. I'm talking to people across the country and getting a lot of different perspectives."
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