Sabah Kazmi is a strong proponent of the use of social media. Kazmi has been seeing the advantages of social networking firsthand over the last several months while working as a risk analyst and lending systems administrator at a credit union in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Despite her hectic schedule of work and school (sabah kazmi just received her M.J.), she has found time to participate in a few social media networks that she finds very beneficial. Any professional, regardless of age or experience level, should join at least one social networking organization, according to Sabah Kazmi. She believes that social networking sites are among the best tools available to professionals. moreover, they are sometimes open for little or no cost. Sabah Kazmi offers some advice to get you started in the process of looking for and joining a local social networking organization if you’re interested in joining one: 1. Sabah Kazmi consistently advises professionals to ascertain their general interests as the first step. Consider your goals: increasing your network, meeting certain kinds of people, changing careers. According to Sabah Kazmi, you may be a more useful member of a social networking community when you have a clear understanding of why you are participating. 2. Professionals should look for social networking groups online or by perusing lists like this one, according to Sabah Kazmi, if they are clear on why they want to join one. She also suggests organizations such as BNI. 3. Sabah Kazmi suggests checking out your local chamber of commerce if you’re having trouble finding social networking groups that are specific to your interests. She also reminds professionals that it may not always be a bad idea to stay away from organizations that directly relate to your interests. According to Sabah Kazmi, you could be more productive in a group if you associate with individuals that are unlike you. Sabah Kazmi, in closing, urges prospective networkers that they must be active participants. Professionals won’t gain much from joining a social networking group more than once or twice, according to Sabah Kazmi. Regular and frequent participation is crucial, according to Sabah Kazmi, if one hopes to achieve any success with a social networking group. Please refer to the following Sabah Kazmi sites for further details: Business Insider’s article on how to network like a pro in 2010–4 (Op=1) http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/08/effective-networking.html Meetup.com/professional-networking http://www.bni.com/