Networking

Being kind, working hard, and lending a hand to people when they need it will help you in the future. Networking is “the act of meeting new people in a business or social context.”  Interacting with new people almost daily, college is the perfect time to create relationships with classmates and/or professors. After graduation it is helpful to make sure to have all of the contact information for as many people as possible. It is important to not only have a way to get into contact, but stay in touch, even if it is via e-mail every couple months. There is always a chance that they can come through in the future to help you out. “Networking offers another avenue to reach vendors, customers, future business partners… It allows you to present yourself and your networking objective in a much more personal way than an advertisement, promotion, or an online resume can,” explains Albert Schuster, president of Network in Philadelphia.

It can be intimidating to approach professionals, but think of them on a personal level. Get to know them on a human level, what are their hobbies, and eventually he or she might be able to suggest jobs that would be good for you, while possibly introducing you to a person within that company. It is important to let it be known that you care for them and are not just using them to as a contact to get ahead.

If you have a job in mind that you are interested in obtaining, you should start trying to create contacts in your junior or senior year of college. While students might lack professional experience, the ability to “pitch” oneself to a hiring manager during the application process can be better than submitting a resume loaded with experience, says Schuster. Networking may seem easy, but it is a job in itself. You have to be proactive, reaching out to as many people as possible instead of waiting for them to meet you. It takes courage and an outgoing personality to meet and keep in contact with you newly found friends. Today’s networking tools give everyone the opportunity to reach out and take advantage of the edge that a “foot in the door” gives.

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