Be creative, take risks, and if all else fails, ask for forgiveness.

Networking isn't just about you, it's about everyone, so make it about everyone

A few months ago when I attended Purdue's school of technology career fair, I was hit by an epiphany; what if I wasn’t here just for myself? I had just finished my last targeted interview and realized that I had half an hour to burn. Right as I was about to leave the fair, a recruiter I had met at last year’s fair stopped me in my tracks and exclaimed “Mark? Is that you? How have you been?” As we spoke he asked about how my Fraternity was doing. I paused for a moment, and lightheartedly said “It’s been really fantastic, you should come visit some time.”

To my surprise the man’s face lit up with excitement, and so began our plan to get people jobs. Two days from now he’ll be presenting three topics to my house’s new members:  Marketing yourself to potential employers, job search opportunities, and acing the interview. Not only has this interaction showcased my organizational and social skills to this potential employer, but it’s also created an opportunity for other people at my house to network and find jobs within his company.

So why bring up this point? It’s simple: Fraternities are excellent places to network. One thing that I don’t see enough of, are academic and professional events being hosted at Greek houses. If you live in a house, chances are that you are paying to live in that house, so use it! Academic dinners hosting professors, inviting job recruiters to share company information, and alumni events are all excellent ways to network.

Having the attitude to want to help your brothers and sisters is one of the foundations of Greek life. If everyone would help each other, there would be much less need for helping one’s self. It’s not the building you live in, but what you do with that building that matters. I’m amazed at how many houses have poor relations with university staff members, Alumni, and overall poor networking. Here are some tips to improve your house’s networks:

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• Create an Alumni Newsletter that gets sent out at least once a semester: Alumni want to know what’s going on at your house, and will be much more willing to come over/make donations if they know what your house has been up to.

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• Go to your professor’s office hours or go get a drink with them. Many professors want to host events or run studies but don’t have the capitol (a place to do it) or manpower to do it, offer up your house.

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• Host Alumni Reunions for specific eras (we had a 60’s Alumni Reunion that was a complete blast). These reunions can boost house moral, are great for getting a job from people within your house, and are an excellent source of wisdom.

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• Create a house Facebook page and LinkedIn page. The easier it is to connect, the more people will connect. “If you build it, they will come.”

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• Be creative, take risks, and if all else fails, ask for forgiveness.

 As you can imagine, there are many different ways to meet and network Alumni, recruiters, and Purdue faculty. When I was Vice President External of Theta Chi, I learned one very important lesson: Be proactive, and respond immediately. Responding to emails quickly, efficiently, and professionally are key to strong networking. 90 percent of lost Alumni relations that have plagued my house were due to two factors: not responding to emails quickly enough, and not keeping one consistent database of contacts. Be organized, be proactive, and be open to anything!