There was a time in which I was not concerned with taking the time to meet others. It's hard to believe that when I started my first job out of college, I often went home after work and didn't take advantage of opportunities to meet others. Adjusting from being a full time student to a full time professional was difficult but staying in a lot didn't help with the adjustment. It was difficult being away from the setting I was used to on my college campus but I needed to make a life for myself beyond those college years.
After a long period of not taking the time to meet others, an epiphany hit me that it was time for me to start meeting other people. It took time and with the help of the Internet, I started to find different groups to be apart of and went to different networking events. Going to these functions not only gave me something to look forward to but allowed me to interact with people my own age and at similar stages in life.
Over a period of time, I managed to find several key people who have been great business contacts and have made some awesome friends along the way. Some of these relationships came from networking events; others came from taking time to get out in the community and meet others. It helped me create more of a balance in life and socialize with others.
Below are some ideas and tips to get out of the house and meet others:
1) Just Because You Are Not In College Does Not Mean You Can't Join a Club - Joining clubs is a great way to meet people with similar interests and develop friendships along the way. In my own life, being a lifelong hockey fan and wanting to be with others who had the same passion made it appealing for me to join the Cleveland Hockey Boosters Club. Knowing I enjoying talking pucks a lot, the club has been an awesome way to meet other people with the same interest and has given me something to look forward to.
2) The Power of the Internet Can Bring Groups and Interests to Your Reach - Popular sites such as Meetup.com often have groups with specialized interests that plan events on a weekly basis. Young professionals groups in cities typically have web-sites and it doesn't hurt to take a look. I found the Cleveland 20/30 Club through an Internet search (http://cleveland2030.org/) and going to their events helped me meet some incredible people.
3) You Are Never Too Old to Volunteer - Volunteering in the community is slightly different from networking but helps you meet people along the way. By taking photographs at Solon high school sporting events, I have been able to meet coaches, parents, administrators, athletic directors and other people who are involved with game day operations. All it took was for me to volunteer my time to take pictures at football games and I had another hobby and fun people to meet with.
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