by Caneka McNeil

The American Society for Public Administration is finding new and improved ways to help the public administration community communicate. Social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are serving as tools to connect individuals, businesses, companies and professional organizations throughout the world. The American Society for Public Administration has joined the social networking scene and we want you to join our networks. ASPA National has created group pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Facebook is the second largest social network on the web. It is primarily geared toward students; however, companies and non-profit organizations such as ASPA have begun to create a presence on the site. It has many features such as profiles, friends, groups and a discussion board. To be a member of Facebook, you must create a profile. The profile includes an individual’s personal contact information, work information and education. The friend feature was established for individuals to network and connect with people. Anyone on Facebook has the ability to request anyone as a friend or be requested as a friend.

The ASPA Facebook group is under the name “American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) National”. It is open to ASPA members and those interested in learning about public administration and ASPA. If you are interested in joining ASPA’s Facebook group, go to www.facebook.com and click “Sign Up” to create a profile. Once your profile has been created, click on the “Groups” tab on the left side of the screen and enter into the search engine “American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) National”. Select the second group and click “Join this Group” on the right side of the page. You are now a member of the group!

Once you become a member, there are many features Facebook can offer. You can directly communicate with other ASPA members. Starting in February, members of the ASPA group can participate in discussions on the Facebook site on topics related to public administration and public service. Additionally, members will receive the latest information taking place in ASPA.

LinkedIn is an online network of more than 15 million experienced professionals around the world. LinkedIn focuses on experienced professionals networking and building relationships with other individuals so that doors of opportunity may open. LinkedIn has four features: profile, connection, network and groups. Similarly to Facebook, you must create a profile to be a member of LinkedIn. A profile summarizes an individual’s professional accomplishments. It helps individuals find former colleagues, clients and partners. A connection is someone you are directly connected with on LinkedIn. A network is the group of LinkedIn users you can contact through your connections. Groups connect members with one another and discover new business contacts within the group and beyond.

If you are interested in joining our LinkedIn Group, please email me at cmcneil@aspanet.org with your name and the email address you wish to use on LinkedIn. Shortly after, you will receive a LinkedIn ASPA group invitation via email. Click on the link provided in the invitation. If you are currently a member of LinkedIn, you will be asked to sign in and automatically added as a member of the group. If you are not currently a member of LinkedIn, clicking the link will guide you through the process of creating a profile. Once you complete this process, you are automatically added as a member of the ASPA LinkedIn Group.

Once you become a member, you can search, find and connect with fellow ASPA members. You also can meet and connect with other LinkedIn users. In addition, you can invite ASPA members to join your personal network so that you are able to view their network and vice versa.

By joining these two networks, you are able to connect with members from ASPA as well as meet other professionals in the field. You can discuss pressing issues related to public service with other leaders in public administration. So, what are you waiting for? Turn on your computers, log online, and get connected with ASPA!

If you have questions regarding ASPA’s social networking groups, please contact me at 202-393-7878 Ext. 200 or cmcneil@aspanet.org.

Caneka McNeil is ASPA’s Public Relations Administrator. E-mail: cmcneil@aspanet.org

This article reprinted from the January 2008 issue of ASPA’s newspaper - PA TIMES.