Meetup: networking made easy

I had heard of Meetup before. Back on '04 it made a splash in the presidential race as it organized groups of people around candidates like Howard Dean. Until yesterday, I had not been on the site in a while. But I discovered that it has really blossomed into a powerful local networking tool.

Meetup is a site where you can find people with interests like yours in or near your hometown.

Want to get together with a group of PUG and Chihuahua dog lovers in Stamford CT? How about a group of people in Tarrytown NY who like to meet and talk Russian.

They have a section devoted to careers:

Meetups by Topic: Work & Career

So if you are a graphic designer in the Chicago area you could go to the Chicago Graphic Designer Meetup Group. Or if you work in IT in Atlanta you can go to the Atlanta IT Alliance.

What a great way to connect with local professionals who share your interest! There's literally a group for anyone, and if you don't see one you like just start your own. Now get out there and meetup.