What do I mean by this?
I managed to verbally convince my professor that I deserved a charger, a hammer, and a roll of raffle tickets. How did I get these items? I'm not going to say. Is it legal? Yes. Am I lying? This is an article by a college student, you tell me. But enough about me, let's move on to the "what does this have to do with the title?" part. Be patient and keep reading.
As a rising sophomore, the one thing that keeps me awake at night is the endless, gut-twisting feeling that your grade point average will lead to your eventual demise. You can think, "Dang it Alex! I wanted to just enjoy my summer for one more month," but in reality, it's something that we all have to face. However, whether or not you're starting college now, or in the process of completing it, networking is a vital tool that many college students overlook. And some of the most important networking you can do is with your professor.
Why you should give a crap.
It sounds dumb. It sounds stupid. In fact, it sounds like something you would get out of a book. But what most people fail to realize is that your degree is not the only thing that is going to get you a job. If the only thing you have is a degree and a few extracurricular activities, then you won't stand out in the possible thousands of other applicants who are fighting over those positions like those gerbil farms where the farmer throws in a small piece of bread, and the little savages go nuts.
From an employers perspective, applications are tedious, a handful, and some may contain outright lies. Who cares if you were part of the Yale swim team or some storytelling nursery when you're applying to a to a computer monitor repair workshop? Do you have proof that you're a working programmer? Why does this piece of paper matter? How do I know that you didn't sleep with your professor for that B+ or A? Working at a real estate brokerage, I get to take a peek at the applicants applying for our marketing internship and to be honest, half of them are blasting resumes to anyone who would take them. Employers want someone who has referrals and credibility. To them, a resume is important, but unless it is inhuman, then it goes into the recycling bin.
This is where the importance of your network truly shines. If your employer gets an application from someone who was referred to them by a close associate (the professor who you want to network with), then your application gets lifted from the cesspool of homogeneous applications. That extra layer of human attachment proves to your employer that your mindset isn't "what can your company do for you," but rather, "what can you do for your company."
How do you do it?
But you're still wondering, "How do I connect with my professor?" The answer is simple. Just work hard. Your professor is a human being too. You don't have to become "buddy buddy" with your professor. However, you should always be willing to chat or ask them questions. I mean, they have office hours for a reason and most of the time, no one else is there. Some things you should ask are what their likes or dislikes are.
Do they need help with a certain project or research? Or if you're struggling, how can you improve your mode of thinking so that you can further succeed in class? Professors are paid exorbitant amounts of money, and many college students forget to utilize these connections. In fact, contemporary college culture objectifies professors into individuals who give grades and assign work rather than resources to employment, higher projects, or to higher level thinking.
Granted, not all professors can be integrated into your network because they're assholes who just want your money. Sometimes you just don't want to or can't connect with them. However, if you can find a handful that you can develop a meaningful connection with, I promise you, something good will happen.
