Networking is a crucial process to securing the career you want. Use these tips on how to network like a pro for all of the career fairs and events happening on campus this semester!
Create Your Personal Brand
Before you even start to make connections with people and building your network, it is important to build your personal brand. Your personal brand should be who you are, what you value and how you want to be represented. Your personal brand should be linked to your mission statement of pursuing a career. When approaching people for building your network, it is important to have a strong foundation of who you are and where you want to go in your career. Having your personal brand will give you the confidence you need for pursuing professional connections.
Don’t be afraid to reach out
The first step to networking is reaching out to people that could benefit or influence your progression in your career path. Never be afraid to reach out to that distant cousin twice removed that works for that major consulting firm you have always dreamed of working for. Joey Kizer, an account executive at Fusion Media Group in Chicago, said, “I feel as though I could not have gotten to where I am today without reaching out to people that I knew of in the industry. It all just started with an email or a text to grab a cup of coffee. And now I have landed my dream job!”
Forget About Your Personal Agenda
While approaching people is an opportunity to progress your career, it is important to be able to forget about what you can gain from them. Authenticity will build a more genuine and long-lasting connection. Andrew Vest, Forbes writer of the article “How To Network The Right Way: Eight Tips”, said that when it comes to networking, “Make it your goal to be open, friendly and honest, and to forge connections between people who may be able to help each other. Generosity is an attractive quality and it’s something special that people will remember about you.” Focus on forming professional friendships rather than scouting people that you can use for personal gain.
Master LinkedIn
LinkedIn in the professional world is your best friend. Build your profile with experiences that fill the gap between where you are now and what you would like to do as a profession. Then, start connecting with companies and people that you identify with in terms of career goals. From there you can see the type of employees they hire and what their experiences. Also, LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to message people who you have connected with. This is a great way to ask questions and form connections with people in the field you would like to pursue.
Utilize University Resources
The University of Illinois has a resource called Handshake @ Illinois. Handshake is Illinois’ campus-wide recruiting platform. Tens of thousands of jobs and internships are posted here annually. They also post about networking events for major companies and for meeting alumni. Handshake is a great resource for connecting with people who are looking for future employees. Also, you can set up a meeting with the Career Center on campus to ask any questions and advice you need on networking, building your personal brand or creating a LinkedIn profile.