In the past decade, social networking has been playing an ever increasingly important role in the daily lives of college students. This internet connection is a great way to stay in touch with friends, family or someone you just met. But beyond this social interaction, many students aren’t taking full advantage of what real human networking has to offer. I’m not talking “friends” or “likes” online, I mean making powerful and important connections with people, connections that may come in handy finding employment, conducting research or meeting even more connections.
On campus, there is a wealth of professional knowledge. Teachers are always eager for students to ask intriguing questions or dive even deeper into a specific subject. Professors are a wealth of information, not just on what you are learning right now, but about life and what lies beyond college. Connections with these working professionals can help you during and even after college. Just introducing yourself during office hours (which will be seen very positively) can break the ice and is a great way for shy students to meet these professors.
Mentioning your interest in a specific subject may reveal some campus job or nearby position you overlooked. I met my future college employer during a campus club meeting. A semester later, I was offered a job at advisement through a recommendation from my previous employer. From here, I worked on campus for an entire year with the whole Social Science division (talk about connections). Just before graduating, a teacher from that division approached me and offered me a position working in Mid-Management at a Summer Camp. To sum this story up, connections often lead to more connections and unexpected (awesome) paths will reveal themselves.
A great way for you to get started is with a more professional online profile. LinkedIn for me has been a more professional way to connect with past teachers/employers. Their basic service is free and more than enough for almost everyone. As this is a cleaner profile, you should leave party photos and anything unflattering off. I still believe that Facebook is an extremely useful service and perfect for friends, but there are many richer channels for your professional career. Go ahead, get started building your personal connections, the sooner you start the easier it’ll be.
Dylan Swartz
No comments:
Post a Comment