It’s time to hone in on one of the most powerful career-building tools: networking.
According to an annual survey by Right Management, good networking will land you to get your dream job and 40 percent of jobs are landed through good networking.
Networking means to get connected with more and more people, building relations, and maintaining them. They will contribute directly or indirectly to your success. You can make connections with professors, students, administrative staff, and build relationships with those who'll help you in your studies and other activities. If you are passionate about any field and want to have a good career, then networking allows you to exchange resources, and get support from them. Therefore, it is important to make connections in your college days, so you will be ready to enter the new phase of life after graduation.
"Networking is the No. 1 unwritten rule of success in business."
Here are some tips to master networking:
1. Build networking into your everyday routine:
You can start to build the network in your daily routine by greeting with professors and classmates and engaging them in your conversation. The professors and friends from your college can be your mentor and guide for job hunting and to choose the right opportunity. Your friends will help you in your studies, you can exchange ideas and you may get some new ideas to research on your project or to start any startup. You can actively participate in social gatherings, college days, events, and competitions to increase the connection.
2. Get involved on campus:
Get involved in the campus to make friends and build a network. Join the various campus activities, societies, professional and social club, career section, sports club, or a student media to connect with a number of students. Check your college website, any newsletter, boards in the library, and discuss the various matters with your classmates. You may get some ideas that will improve your skills. If possible go for a club fair or trip to get socialized and everyone will know you, in this way you can make any new network.
3. Develop your online presence:
In today's digital age, your online presence will help you stand out from the job market. Nowadays most of the recruiters first check your profile on an online platform before inviting you for face-to-face interviews. So, create your social media account, like on LinkedIn which is the largest professional social media. Browsing the site can show you the connections and how people's careers have progressed. You might find your school friends or alumni group on other social media like Facebook, Instagram they can assist you in finding a job and may recommend you internally in their company's job posting. So start a conversation, ask about the current trends on the market, and the job position. Ensure that all of your social media platforms are professional.
4. Be open to new connections:
You can make a new connection anytime and anywhere, maybe while commuting, in the canteen, or in a campus area. As you entered the campus greet the professors, your classmate, friends, or office staff, the conversation among you offers you to exchange the idea, you will get knowledge about current affairs of the world and stay updated with the latest news about the job market. So start making a network, make a habit of saying hello to one new person every day, show respect, and this habit can increase your contacts and help you to emphasize your skills.
5. Take initiative:
Make the first move to initiate and start talking to the people who know you or to the strangers to build your network. While visiting the market, commuting, or in public places talk with someone and make a connection, you will feel confident and your communication skills get improved. Ensure that you avoid the irrelevant contacts in a network, carefully make a move and take interest in to whom you are talking, who they are, and what they do. Note down the information about them, which will help you to search for the job.
6. Maintain your networks:
Day by day your relationship gets stronger if you keep in contact with your networks regularly. Cherish your network by e-mailing to the potential people you meet, but ensure that keep your message is short and sweet, also mention something you talked about. You can create your business card to give your information to your contacts. When you meet someone simply hand them your business card, it is a great tool to impress them. Otherwise, you can wish them well and thank them for their time and help.
Networking helps us to build relationships in our personal and professional life. Therefore start networking and increase your chances of new opportunities, actively take the first move to initiate the conversation, and nurture your network by appreciating the people in your network.
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