07 April 2009

Familiarize yourself with Juniper - Part 2: Facebook and LinkedIn

I left off discussing Juniper's involvement with Twitter and pointed you towards Juniper's three blogs for the strategic, technical, and bridge audiences. Hopefully you have already had time to peruse the links on past blogs and get acquainted with these topics.

How many of you have explored all of what LinkedIn can offer? They recently broadened their capabilities and offerings. Now, it functions not only as a way for you to remain connected to your friends and colleagues, but as a networking option for people you have yet to meet who share similar interests. In this case, your common bond is Juniper and all the many juniper-focused categories.
If you search LinkedIn today, you will find 27 groups you can join. The topics range from JUNOS Certification, to being a Juniper Engineer, to location based user groups. There is even a group called "Juniper Networks - A dream company to work with" with many starry-eyed members. LinkedIn has been known as a great networking tool, especially if you are searching
for a new job or recommendation to boost your credibility as a good hire. Groups allow you to have access to people from all over the globe who are importing information that is relevant to you. Since you already talk shop with your friends, why not join a few Juniper groups? You'll get connected to the information you may otherwise be missing out on. I highly recommend you do your own search and examine what possibilities await you.

Though Facebook was not initially designed as an online industry mixer, it has slowly become a major resource for professional networking. Mind you, Facebook
remains a relaxed atmosphere and doesn't typically conjure an impression of polished interactions. I am of the mindset that upholding the corporate personality at all times can be exhausting--people need a place to relax a bit. Facebook feels like a casual Friday to me. Just because I work at Juniper for the 9-5pm (well, realistically, 7pm) doesn't mean I stop being an advocate when I am out of the office. Facebook functions similarly to LinkedIn by allowing you to join fan pages and groups. There is even a use who touts themself as the living personification of Juniper Networks itself! Join one of these groups and start to add pictures to the pile of fan photos, connect with peers, and keep up-to-date on Juniper news. While you're at it, feel free to add my Facebook profile to your list of friends. It's always nice to hear from fans of Juniper.

This isnt the end. Next post, I'll let you know how to keep track of Juniper on social bookmarking sites like Delicious and Digg as well as highlight all the many ways to stream Juniper to your RSS.

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