Until fairly recently, I had never really understood the tangible benefits of networking, This is partially because I have been out of the work force for several years having children and at that time the words "networking opportunity" used to send a bit of a shiver down my spine. And not in a good way.
I had previously been working as a solicitor in the city, and networking to me came to represent a night afterwork in some badly lit conference room, drinking tepid and fairly nasty white wine, and trying not to drop chicken vol-au-vent filling down the front of my suit. There was the usual array of people to speak to, some more interesting than others (and I would include myself in that category) , and a muted exchange of business cards. But nothing ever really "happened" as such.
Having recently launched an iPhone app called Legacy Organiser, I have re-entered the work force and much has changed. I have had to engage with technology and communities in a way that did not exist 5 or 6 years ago. It has been a huge learning curve. However, what I have found is that networking is no longer a concept but an actual activity that reaps huge rewards. Through Women in Technology, we have been given the opportunity to raise the profile of our app including getting a fantastic review of our app on Lady Geek http://ladygeek.com/archives/1958 I am still a networking novice but it is an amazing experience to see tangible results at such an early stage.