Networking. For many freshmen newly arriving on campus, the word evokes a multitude of heavy associations. In its vagueness lurks the threat of awkward coffee chats, nagging emails and forced connections.
Regardless, most college students today are taught that networking is the key to landing positions and jump-starting a career. In other words, this intensely intimidating ritual seems necessary to secure a future — how do you pull it off?
Jordari Rene, assistant director of employer relations and professional connections at The Career Center, underlined that networking doesn’t have to be an overwhelming term.
“Networking is understanding and honing relationships between different individuals while also gaining information or exchanging information with one another,” Rene said. “Anyone can get involved. I’m talking about your friends, your professors, your mentors, the person down the road.”
Rene and his team host more than 10 career fairs throughout the year, including college-specific and part-time job fairs. The office also hosts the annual Diversity & Inclusion Networking Exchange, a dinner for students to meet with professionals in their field.
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Media Career Services hosts two or three Media Career Nights per semester, where alumni working in different sectors of the industry provide insight to students.
Daniel Almanza, assistant director of career services at the College of Media, said they also hold annual “Meet the Recruiter” nights. These provide opportunities to discuss open positions with companies directly.
“It really allows students to understand different types of industries, but more than anything, be able to start connecting with these different professionals and gain insight and advice from these particular individuals,” Almanza said.
Before attending one of these events, though, preparation is crucial.
“It never hurts to do a little bit of background research,” Rene said. “We do our due diligence to make sure that we give you the information of who’s going to be there, the amount of people. We even give you a dress code.”
Almanza also suggested polishing your resume at The Career Center beforehand, as well as reaching out to upperclassmen for guidance.
While career fairs can be useful opportunities for expanding your network, students also credit pre-professional organizations with broadening their connections.
Natalie Wietzema, senior in Business, is the president of Phi Chi Theta, one of several business fraternities on campus that aim to promote professionalism and leadership among its members.
“My favorite part of being part of the organization was we got to do a lot of coffee chats,” Wietzema said. “It was a really cool opportunity to meet new people, meet seniors in the organization if you were a freshman or sophomore and learn from different people’s experiences.”
Students across campus swear by these “coffee chats” — informal conversations with a peer or higher-up about an industry or position, often done over a cup of coffee. Another must-know in the college networking glossary is the employment platform LinkedIn.
“(LinkedIn) is useful when making connections,” Wietzema said. “I think it’s just another useful platform to get to know different people’s experiences because you might not see that through Instagram or Snapchat.”
During Wietzema’s sophomore year, an employee of a company she hoped to work for appeared on her LinkedIn feed. After reaching out to the profile and being connected with a recruiter, Wietzema landed a position at the company for the following summer.
LinkedIn is popular across campus, the nation and the globe. Handshake is another prevalent platform at the University that may offer more local opportunities.
Almanza offered advice to those who feel uneasy about forming professional connections.
“These different seasoned professionals and different people you meet, they’re really eager to meet you,” Almanza said. “As much as you might be sort of more timid or shy … oftentimes, it’s them wanting to get to know you.”
Whether the idea of networking conjures enthusiasm or apprehension, the University has a wealth of resources prepared to help students build relations successfully, from the moment they set foot on campus.
