Career networking in Second Life

by Peter Suciu

March 18, 2008 —

Arriving for the first time in Second Life can be compared to visiting a large shopping mall in a distant city. Everything looks vaguely familiar, but chances are you don't know anyone. Yet for many IT professionals this brave new world offers unique opportunities for networking, job searches and even interviews.

"One way to think about it is that Second Life is a new society forming on the Web," says John Jainschigg, executive director, CMP Technology's Metaverse, a full service Second Life solution provider.

In-world networking events and conferences are part of this new virtual world. In fact, many big name corporations have already created a notable presence in Second Life, says Jainschigg. "IBM, Sun, Cisco, Intel, AMD, Motorola, Dell, the list goes on and on."

If you've wondered what networking opportunities Second Life might offer, here's how to start.

Learn the interface

After you register to become a member of Second Life (which is free), learn the ropes before trying to use the virtual community as a networking tool, including how to chat and share information.

"If you're going to do an interview make sure you get in Second Life well in advance," says Brian White, author of Que Publishing's Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World. White recommends spending a few hours getting used to the interface. "It is pretty obvious when someone is new. You want to get the basics down, and have the basic skills."

This might be as simple as moving your avatar around the world using your keyboard, or being able to easily use the communication tools. "Consider this the same type of preparation you'd use for a real world interview. Be prepared for that interview in that you look like you know what you're doing in Second Life," says White.

Look for like-minded individuals

You're bound to stumble upon a virtual bar or dance club filled with cyberpunk cowboys straight out of a William Gibson novel, but persevere. "There are certainly a number of IT-related communities within Second Life, but these don't tend to actually hang out in a physical location," says Jeff Heaton, an IT expert on virtual reality and artificial intelligence. "You can easily find groups in Second Life, for topics such as Java," for example.

Don't expect an instant community, plan to explore

As with real-life networking, it might take some exploring before you immediately connect with others. Longtime user John Rasmussen says much of his networking wasn't planned. "A lot of what I've found has been by chance. There is no hub for IT professionals, and part of the reason is that an IT guy who goes into Second Life might not want to be an IT guy in Second Life; he wants to be something else. Hence this is his Second Life."

Despite the lack of an "IT hub", Rasmussen says he's actually building his career through the virtual community. By joining various groups, including those on coding, and attending various in-world software management events, he has managed to connect with other IT professionals on a number of projects.

Be open to virtual meet and greets

Once you've made contact with other individuals, Second Life can serve as a good tool for in-world meetings. Austin Morris, president of QTLabs Inc., a real-world company that provides IT services and consulting likens the experience to a WebX meeting. "Second Life allows the sharing of information in real-time."

Morris says in-world meetings offer advances over posting a link to a video, e-mailing the group and hoping that they watch it. "In Second Life we could hold a boardroom meeting, and show it to the group. It might not be 100 percent real-time, and there are some short delays, but it provides the ability to respond in real-time."

Morris originally began using Second Life to promote his services and consulting, but soon realized the opportunities for both in-world commerce and integration services for companies and individuals seeking to enter the metaverse. "Our company began its SL ventures as an individual owned company made up of me," says Morris, "and has grown to include several people here locally as well as many individuals' and partner companies from around the physical world, so we have grown out of the metaverse as opposed to coming to the metaverse."

Use Second Life as a jumping off point for real-world connections

Extend the Second Life networking experience by meeting offline with folks who are geographically local to you. "There are meet-ups in the real world," says White, who has a decade of hands-on experience with software configuration management tools and methods. White started a meet-up in the Seattle area and says that similar such off-line events are becoming even more common, and include weekly or monthly meetings. "[It's] another way to connect and network."

Expect interviews to be different

Companies seeking tech savvy individuals may use Second Life as a location for a first interview. "The cost savings can be immense," says Morris. "It is like a telephone interview or an IM interview and it can ensure that this isn't a waste of time for either party. It won't replace a phone interview, or a face-to-face meeting but it can be more comfortable than a phone interview too."

And for the interview, whether it is for a job or information for an upcoming project, there can be a complete digital record of everything that was said or typed. "You have that trailing text transcript if you're using IM," says Morris, adding that Second Life's built-in IM capability can even be used when you're off line from Second Life as well. But more importantly, he says that he has found this saves him from the task of taking notes. "It is all there. I have a complete and accurate record. I can even immediately send you a landmark address or hyper link. This can all provide a lot more than a typical phone conversation."

Dress the part, digitally

A common job tip is to dress for the job you want, not the one you have. But how does that work in the digital world? Say the experts: your avatar - the in-world visual representation of yourself - must look appropriate for networking and job interviews. But this doesn't necessarily mean a digitalized version of you in a suit! Avatars should be customized to show your personality and your creativity, while also showing that you didn't just sign up for the service earlier that day. Get a feel for the world early on, and try to use this when dressing your avatar.

"The look of avatars is changing all the time," says Morris. "The hard thing with Second Life is understanding when someone is working and when someone is playing. There is a line in the real world, you get off work and change your clothes. In Second Life those two worlds are melded."

Just as important, says White, is not to look too generic. "People may remember your avatar. So it is somewhat important, depending on the type of job, to have a professional type of avatar. But if you are interviewing for a more creative type of job you can use a more creative looking avatar."

And while the Linden Lab creators (the team that created Second Life) may be more "out there" than most with avatars that resemble characters as plush animals, White adds that there are still lines that you must be careful about. "You don't need to have a business suit, but an "out there" look won't get you the job."