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Career Corner: Contact Management

By Flickr user jonathanhstrauss
Usually, I get back from a conference, unload the 2-3 inch thick stack of business cards I've amassed, begin wading through my overflowing inbox, promise myself I'll get to the business cards once I'm caught up, and then stare guiltily at the pile for the next few weeks (or months). Sure, I follow up with the folks I need to; but I haven't been so good at having a deliberate, conscious plan for the rest of the stack.

I figured I'd see what the experts do. I found two articles that provide a good list/overview of how to follow-up with folks you've met—after a conference, a dinner, or just serendipitously. None of it is rocket science, but it was a good reminder of how the process can be (read: should be) intentional.

Here are the two posts that propose relatively simple plans that I think (just maybe) I can work with:

Beth's Blog: "It's Harvest Time for Networking and Tomatoes"

Lifehack: "Post Conference Follow-Up Hacks"

What works for you?

Every other week, we'll bring you career advice as part of this new blog feature, "Career Corner." This entry was written by Meg, co-author of the Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers.