Networking 101

Everyone has heard this buzz phrase, "It's not what you know, its who you know" and it is a very true statement indeed. Your grades and major can only get you so far but networking with people can get you a step closer to the job and career you desire.

Why Network?

When you're finally in the work place you'll soon realize that you don't go walking around with your major and GPA tattooed on your forehead. Interacting with people at your company is an often over looked aspect of your job and it can either make or break your career. Same goes in college. The more people you get to know and get along with in the job industry the easier it will be to find a job. A recommendation from someone working in the company will go a long way.

Where do you Network?

As a college student, there are many opportunities to speak with professionals. Heck, most professionals come to you and actually are looking for the opportunity to talk to college students to get a sense of the next generation of their work force. Many academic student groups organize either career nights or an informational session where a professional comes in and talk about their careers. Look to your university's career services to put these events together as well. Career fairs are also a great place to speak with recruiters and if you start early, you'll get to know them real well by the time you're actually looking for an internship or a job.

How do you Network?

So you've finally gotten the chance to walk up to someone and start networking but you're thinking, what do I say without looking stupid? First and foremost, don't forget to introduce yourself. It's a simple way of getting the conversation going. Find out more about their job and talk about some the class projects you've worked on or what would interest you in a career. What you're going for is finding the right chemistry and hoping that they sense it too. If they offer you a business card and opens up the opportunity to email him or her in the future for career advice then you're in the prefect position to develop a relationship.

Granted not all networking situations work out and don't expect to get business cards from everyone you meet but stay determined and network as much as possible. You'll gain good experience learning to interact with people out of college and hopefully a leg up on everyone else.