Is Online is Here to Stay? A New Way of Networking in Business School!
Beginning a graduate program in the middle of a global pandemic that has historically put a large portion of its value into the network you are entering and the partnerships you’ll be able to develop seemed like a bad gambit. My initial thoughts were that class quality itself did not seem impacted and that perhaps the social aspect would be sufficient as well, but after a year its fair to say that just has not measured up. Enter the new way forward that more and more business schools, including Emory, are adopting to not only let connection flourish again, but pave the way for how networking ought to be done. That way is called Meetsy — and it is here to stay.
Meetsy, described in a nutshell, is an automated matchmaking tool for networking. It operates somewhat like a social network, prompting users to create a profile and complete a set of membership questions for a given group. Here’s how it is accomplishing something relatively simple, but magical. Each of the responses to the membership questions further flesh out your profile and are used by its algorithm to match and introduce you to other members based on each other responses. Are you someone in Marketing and are searching for a new job but within the consulting field? Tailor your responses and it will find you someone to meet. Are you interested in data analytics and just want to nerd out? You’re in luck. Meetsy will quickly again find you the perfect match.
The platform is not necessarily the only one doing this, but what makes it different is that it has presented little to no barriers to entry for students in business programs as there is no cost associated (at the time of this writing). Add to that complete flexibility in forming membership questions and match-making criteria and you have a tool ready to seriously challenge traditional networking.
What the Meetsy tool really excels at is:
- Automating the process of finding people within your network that align to your current interests.
- Removing the need to be an extrovert.
- Eliminating some unconscious bias that we all unfortunately have by introducing people regardless of our innate microtendencies.
What makes this tool so special for business schools in particular? As pointed out in the initial statement, business schools have always put tremendous value on the relationships one forms in a program, which certainly took a hit in a Zoom-only world. Platforms like these that are more focused on one-on-one video chats not only serve as good enough substitutes, but actually solve a traditional networking issue. Regardless of being online in the future or not, Meetsy’s matchmaking algorithm will play a big role in how MBA students interact and could potentially even be a differentiator between programs that leverage it well versus not. Ultimately, this isn’t just theory. The feedback and testimonials are there across business school programs. Emory University’s Goizueta Business School is leading the pack, being instrumental in redefining how groups interact and what the potential of the Meetsy platform could truly be.