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  • Networking to Land a Career

    Networking to Land a Career

    When people get together to meet and talk, they sometimes learn a lot about each other. At family gatherings, people might find out about what their cousins or aunts and uncles are doing and how their lives are going. At parties, friends might find out more about each other and about the other people they know. What happens when job seekers and businesspeople get together? Through a process called networking, people can connect with each other in ways that can benefit them and lead to success.

    What does the word “network” mean to you? If you work with computers, you probably know that networks in this area are all about connections. The same is true in business and job searching, except that this kind of networking involves people instead of machines. When people need something, they can connect with someone who has what they want. A person who needs a job, for example, can connect with someone who is looking for employees. Someone who has something to sell can connect with someone who wants to buy it. For some people, these kinds of connections can make the difference between success and failure.

    Networking can take many different forms. Sometimes, it can be as simple as just talking to friends and family members about a product or a job need. It could involve talking to people on the street and passing out business cards. Often, however, employment agencies and business centres have more formal networking events when people can get together to meet each other.

    Suppose that you have a business of selling greeting cards. You might take some of your cards to a networking event to show to other people so that they can see exactly what they can but from you. What if you are a high school student and are unsure of what direction to take after you finish your studies? By networking at a job fair, you might be able to find out what career suits you and be able to choose the right educational path for what you want to do. Networking can help you achieve your goals.

    Usually, networking involves meeting people face to face and talking with them, which might be very difficult for some people. How can people network with others if they find it difficult to talk to strangers and to explain themselves? Some of the basic networking techniques can help for people who are not natural talkers. Preparation is very important for anyone who wants to build up a network of contacts. Having a business card to hand out, even if it includes only a name and e-mail address, can be a good way to be remembered.

    Gathering information and forming relationships are important parts of finding a good job. Following up on those contacts is as important as the first meeting, and a large part of networking happens after the actual event. When networking is done well, it can help lead people to success in their chosen fields of work.

  • Why Students Should Join Professional Associations

    Why Students Should Join Professional Associations

    Once you’ve entered university and have started on your path towards your chosen career, you can look at joining professional associations. Students who join the associations in their related field do well for several reasons:

    1)      They are well connected with people who share a common interest. Having a social network of people who you can talk to about stresses and successes in your program is a huge coping resource. If you have any complaints about professors or courses, or are looking for information about textbooks or course notes, you have an easy access group of people at your disposal. There are also opportunities to share your opinion which is often a useful outlet as you undergo the stresses of university or college life.

    2)      Having a strong sense of belonging within a group will allow you to fulfill one of your most basic needs in a really easy and accessible way. This is super important because you will be busy in university or in college, so making time for social activities may present a problem for you. Having a group that you belong to will help to reassure you and let you focus on more important things, like your studies.

    3)      It looks good on a resume. Being a part of your chosen professional organization will help you to bulk up your resume. Employers and academics will be impressed with any work that you did within this organization because it shows that you have a strong work ethic and are able to work well on a team. It also shows that you are engaged in your academic life in a way that exceeds the minimum expectations. Whenever possible, you want to gain experience that goes above and beyond to put yourself ahead of others who will be competing for the same jobs as you.

    4)      It provides you with networking tools. When you are a part of an organization, you can more easily get in touch with people who can get you jobs or volunteer positions.  You want to have these connections so that your life is made easier when it comes time to finding a job. This may not seem important since you are in school and may not want a job immediately, but if you plan on being employed sometime in the future, then you will need to have connections.

    5)      There are more opportunities when you are a part of something then when you aren’t. When you are a part of your professional organization, you have opportunities for social gatherings and charity drives and other such events that you otherwise may not know about. Taking part keeps you in the loop.

    Overall, the most important reason to join a professional organization is to have the beginning of a social network.  When you start university or college there are often competing demands on your time. This means that you may not have time to do the social networking that you should be doing. This aspect should not, however, be neglected, and by joining a professional organization you are immediately put in touch with people with common interests and have access to opportunities that are likely of interest to you and that will look great on your resume. Also, any way to make networking with employers easier should be acted upon because, as the common adage says, having connections is your most useful tool for getting employed, no matter how spectacular your experience is.

  • Networking: Your Tool to Success

    Networking: Your Tool to Success

    There is a saying that you will become very familiar with in life as you enter university and eventually into the workforce. The saying goes: it’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know that matters.

    This may not make sense to you at first glance. I’ll be the first to admit that it didn’t make sense to me at first either. After all, I had spent years trying to learn as much as I could about my specific course of study. I figured that the more knowledge I had under my belt the better my chances were at getting into a great graduate program or getting a job in my desired field. But I soon discovered that this was not the case. Don’t get me wrong, either. Knowledge is important – very important! But so is your network.

    So, what is a network? A network is a person (or group of people) you interact with and exchange information with. Put simply, it consists of anyone you know and have developed a relationship with. Your network can include your family, friends, past and current colleagues, former high school teachers, past and current university professors, past and current bosses (assuming you have a good relationship with them), etc. Your network can even include people you met at the gym, coffee shop or church! The possibilities of who make up your network (and how large your network is) is only limited by the number of people you know. And I bet there are a lot of people you know in your life!

    Not everyone in your network needs to know each other. What’s important, though, is that the people in your network know you and like you. It wouldn’t be a good idea to have someone in your network who speaks poorly about you. This is because a network consists of people who help (not hinder) you in your career. Let’s consider the numerous advantages of having a network. For instance, when trying to find a job, a network can:

    • Provide you with internal job postings leads that may not be advertised to the general public
    • Provide you with contact names (people whom you may not be able to access on your own)
    • Put in a good word for you. Word-of-mouth referrals always have influence!
    • Provide you with advice during your job search process
    • Provide ongoing mentorship throughout your career

    Often, these things are more powerful and influential than WHAT you know. Again, this is not to suggest that knowledge and expertise aren’t important – they are! But when knowledge and expertise are coupled together with a lead on an internal job posting, a word-of-mouth referral and a contact name, your chances of getting that job go up tenfold, compared to another candidate who just has the knowledge and expertise.

    Remember that relationships are important, and this is no different in your personal life than it is in your professional life. So build your network and be part of someone else’s network. The benefits you reap from it are endless, especially since we live in a world where it’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know that matters!