Networking. One of those words you hear all the time and just shrug off. Yeah, it’s probably helpful in landing a job after college. Yeah, you know you should get around to doing it, but it is such a vague term.
You know the basic idea of networking, but maybe you don’t think networking is for you. Well, I’m here to tell you that it absolutely is, and it will be the only way to land your first job.
Here’s the reality of college: you will be graduating with thousands upon thousands of other seniors in the country with the exact same major as you. Probably even the same minor. So how do you stand out? The answer is that you don’t. At all.
If this article does not show you how important networking is, then you will be destined to degree limbo–where you are sitting around with a bachelor’s degree without a job in your career field and no game plan.
Luckily, there is still time now while you are in college to avoid this situation! The solution is to network. Network now and network often.
What is networking? You can go to countless hours of workshops and seminars and still have no clue what it is. Networking, at its core, is relationship-building. If you can remember this, you are on track to graduating with job offers already flooding in. Relationship-building is the most important thing you can be doing right now in college, no matter what major you are.
This is not simply making a lot of friends and being the most popular student at Georgia State. The key is choosing the most strategic individuals to befriend and grow relationships with. This is an extremely complex idea, but if you can at least acknowledge now that relationship-building is integral, then you are a step ahead of almost everyone else in college.
So what are some examples of effective networking? Many people think too broadly, thinking they should get in with the CEO of their dream company, something that is absurd and basically impossible. The reality is simple decisions you make every day can affect your networking prospects.
The most sought-after example of networking is getting an internship, which is much easier said than done. Here you meet a vast amount of older, more experienced individuals in your job field that can and will land you a job after graduation. The proof is in the numbers: according to NACE’s 2013 Student Survey, 63.1 percent of paid interns received at least one job offer. Compare that with the 35.2% percent of graduates who received a job offer that did not have an internship.
However, if you simply show up to an internship, go through the motions and leave, then you have squandered your chances at creating the crucial relationships that internships provide.
Another easy way to get into networking is making connections with your professors. Professors are obvious choices for networking since they are in your career field and they themselves are probably quality networkers who can open you up to their vast array of names and opportunities.
The only thing is that you will never know these opportunities exist if you simply come to class, write down the same notes as the 120 other students and leave. You must make an effort to gain an edge in your job search.
There are many more examples, including your co-workers or hobbies you partake in. For instance, in my Boy Scout troop growing up, the adult leaders all came from diverse backgrounds and many were from the business community. To this day I get financial advice and suggestions from a few of them, and I know as soon as I graduate they will be the first people I call to set up an interview.
So I urge you start thinking about networking and how you can get started. When you send your resume out you want the human resources representative to know who you are before even looking at your resume. Stand out in a way no one else can by having a personal connection in the career field or job you want.
The ultimate goal is skipping the application process entirely and getting straight to an interview. This is only possible with effective networking, and if you start forming relationships now, then you are destined for success!
