I am sure you have heard by now how vital it is to your future career to network. Professors, friends, and parents have told you that the only way you will find a job is by networking. What exactly is networking? It is someone you know, who knows other people. Basically, it is someone who can hand your resume to someone else and say, “hey, I know her/him and they are a really good fit for the position.” Networking, now, will land you a job you want; handing in a resume is just not enough any more.
For this
new bunch of college graduates, there is a brighter outlook on jobs right out
of college. More employers are hiring college grads then in previous years. How are you ever
going to find these jobs? Networking, of course. You will find business
opportunities through each other and will get your foot in the door at a
company. Networking adds value to your application and to you as a candidate
for the position. Employers like to see these connections because even your boss
is networking.
I asked a
couple students on campus about networking and their answers really captured
what networking means. Stacey Fisher is currently a sophomore at Florida State. “Network
is what you offer beyond your resume. It shows who you are aside from the lists
on that piece of paper. People trust each other and in turn they will trust
their judgment about you as a potential employee.”
Chelsea Shuford has first hand experience with networking
and how crucial it is. “I completely
agree. It is how got my job. A friend of my mine knew the human resources
director and put in a good word. She helped get me through the door, and get me
my dream job!”
Learning
how to network is tricky and time consuming. You can’t expect to build an
entire network in just one night; it takes years. You already have connections
in place – your parents, sorority sisters, fraternity brothers, professors, your
boss at the local restaurant. These are connections that you have already developed and, with these, your network grows. That couple that your mom knows that is looking
for a new secretary, or your sorority sister's dad who needs help filing.
Friends of friends, friends of parents are your larger networks.
Step out of
your comfort zone to meet people. Who knows, maybe that guy next to you on the
airplane is starting a new company and needs administrators. You never know who
you might meet. However, don’t get too desperate with your networking. Keep track of when you last communicated with
that person, you don’t want to end up with a restraining order. Not everyone
responds to every email promptly, but keep up with these networks and reach out
to them, because they won’t reach out to you.
Keep
networks up with LinkedIn and Facebook. Facebook is easy to see what everyone
is doing and what their current job looks like. LinkedIn is very much the same, but strictly for business. I recently just set up a LinkedIn account and it took all of 15
minutes. It really helps you network and see where job opportunities are.
Networking
will help you find a job, and it will help get you that job. Students should be
constantly networking and finding opportunities to meet new people.
