I just came back from a conference and rejuvenated my love for meeting people and shaking hands. In this day and age it’s easy to forget what face time is all about; however I suggest us returning to a long-lost art—meeting people. Get to know the people in your industry. The online media space provides all of us job searchers with dozens of ways to "mine for gold." What does this mean exactly?

Learn the names of the people making moves and follow them as they make them. If you are a web designer, make sure you have a few favorite designers on your radar; what projects are they working on? What systems are they using? If you are a search engine marketer; what agencies are gaining the momentum? What tools are they using? All of this information prepares you for the sneaky interview questions like "What are you excited about in the field right now? Where do you see yourself fitting in?" It seems easy enough but the power of dropping a big name at the perfect time cannot be overstated.

But lets be honest no one has time to follow everyone? So how do you keep up with the key players efficiently? Here are five good ways to discover who is big in your field and learn more about them.

1. Google Them. Yup I know…too simple to be smart. But it is. Google "expert in ____" and see who comes up. Read the first few articles and jot down a few names, try some variations of this—"leading researcher in _____," "top name in _______," "keynote speaker in _____." Now cross reference all the lists and see what names are really ranking up there. Chances are good each of these people have a homepage set-up just waiting for you to visit.
2. Social Media Following. Once you have some names its time to do some research (aka online stalking). Check out if they have a Facebook page, a twitter profile, etc. Be-friend them and check out what they are promoting on their site. Chances are good you can find links to personal articles they have written, or they might even have their personal email up there. In this space we all know the more "feelers" out there the better…so use the avenues of connection already available to you. No need to reinvent the wheel.
3. Join Groups. Each of the social networks has a way to join groups. I know a lot of us "groups" as amateur but even if they only have a few members but its likely you will come across some names you recognize from your Google search. These communities act as grass root PR for the bigger names in the industry and the dialogs that can be found in these groups are priceless. Here are a few groups I suggest checking out on Facebook to get you started:
   • Social Media Networking: Promote Yourself & Make Social Connections Online
   • What I Saw at the Direct Marketing Revolution
   • Web 2.0 (Entrepreneurs)
   • The Online Beat (of course we have to throw this in there…:-))
4. Hit up Barnes & Nobles (or Borders, or Amazon.com, you get where I am going with this). Don’t worry I’m not actually suggesting you read an entire book. Well actually that would be the best case scenario, but for all of us who have little time and want maximum results, I suggest heading to a book superstore and see what books they are highlighting in your industry. Who are the authors, who are they referencing. The book’s authors have established themselves as experts and it’s important you know their names and their philosophies. Even if you inherently disagree with them, it’s best to know your industry from both sides.
5. Lastly—ask around. Mouth-to-mouth will always be our most valuable method of passing knowledge. Ask your boss who he idolizes in the field; ask your co-workers if they have read any good books on the field lately, etc. A great question during an interview is to ask your future CEO who he/she reads, follows, etc. It shows them you want to keep current in the industry.

Of course knowing the experts in your field won’t guarantee you a new job but it will give you an edge. You want your interviewer to jot down the words "innovative, up-to-date, inquisitive, knowledgeable, etc" when interviewing you. Mining your field for the heavy hitters and keeping up on their writings is a great way to accomplish this. So get going…go…go….no time like now.