Ning is an amazing resource that was launched in October 2005. To date, it has raised over 100 milllion in venture capital according to Wikipedia. 40% of Ning’s social networks originate outside the United States. The Ning Developer Network reports that there are over 900,000 Ning social networks. So for awhile, I will be posting about the groups available that help you reinvent yourself. Most of the Ning groups chosen will be about jobs and/or careers.

1.  Smart tech people Getting started on this site includes creating a profile, upload or creating a video introduction, networking and connecting with other members, visiting the job board on site, and creating a blog, searching the forums, and starting or joining a group. The groups to join are Oracle user group, developers, career corner, graph designers, hot jobs, Microsoft euro jobs, Canada recruiters, project managers, featured international jobs, and New York recruiters.

2.  Jobertalk is a group site about networking with human resources professionals. It contains many links to help with job search as well as jobs posted. The groups available are pioneers for career change, T.A.P.C. (Texas Association of Personnel Consultants), human resource professionals, and banking.

3.  Open networkers.info is a very large site that includes 110 groups. It also contains 31 pages with very diverse help including CN networking toolbar, creating your own video profile, widgets, ON specialists maps, getting started, the ON web 3.0 business lounge, high quality job seekers and open networkers code of conduct and ideals. Open Networkers are active on over 60 social networks.

4.  Greenlight Community is a group site by Keith Ferrazzi geared toward helping people develop relationships. This is a large group site and has 139 groups. Some of the larger groups are beliefs: what do we need to believe in order to be successful? (125 members), personal branding (275 members,) Linked In factor a (69 members), personal fitness, (105 members), and how to be more social (127 members).

Some of the forums include peer support, success, targeting, 30-day Greenlight challenges, newbies, and obstacles.

There is a planned Greenlight inaugural meeting planned for 2009 that includes 54 members. Greenlight community presently has 4,132 members.

5. Secrets of the job hunt with 799 members offers a place for career advice pros and job seekers can connect. It has job radio.fm which is career advice streamed over jobcasts. The forum topics are job fair tips, resume stuff, job fairs, career advice books, new sites and technology, job boards, US  job market, hot jobs, over 50 job seekers, and local workshops.