Job Search
To begin your career-related networking efforts, inventory all the formal and informal groups of which you are a member. To help you get started, consider the following list: friends, relatives, college classmates, high school classmates, former or current faculty members, alumni who have majored in your field, former or current employers, sports partners, campus or community club members, staff members of the Career Development Center. Can you think of more categories? Be sure to compile an exhaustive list of the names and addresses/phone numbers of individuals you know for each category. Never underestimate the value of any group or person. Each can potentially contribute to your successful career development.
An illuminating research study known as the "Small-World Problem" (Stanley Milgram, Psychology Today, May 1967, pp 290-299) reveals the extraordinary power of having and using personal contacts. Milgram estimates that any person of adult age has accumulated between 500 and 1000 personal contacts. That total increases dramatically when you estimate the potential number of referral contacts that might be generated. Referral contacts are easily developed when you ask someone you know for the name of someone they know. The skill of expanding a personal network is the skill of connecting with people. By stringing together enough contacts and referrals, you can reach ANYONE!
The next step to successful networking is determining your objective. What do you want to learn, share, or gain from contacting others? Clearly define your needs so that you may focus your activity. Perhaps you want to conduct informational interviews to learn more about a particular career field. Be sure to generate a list of questions you would like to ask each contact before the meeting takes place. Also, be prepared to offer some information in exchange. Networking is a two-way street. You must be willing to share contacts and resources, as well as receive them.
To better illustrate the networking process, let's use "accounting" as an example of a profession you may want to investigate. Who do you already know in the field of accounting? Begin your list with the names of faculty at CSULB who teach the subject and ask for the names of students they know. Consider attending a meeting of the Student Accounting Society on campus to develop additional contacts. Who prepares your tax return, and what additional referrals can he/she give you?
Be sincere regarding your networking motive. If your primary goal is to locate specific job vacancy information, be honest. Ask your questions, listen carefully to the answers given (take notes, if necessary), share some relevant information which may be of use to the contact, thank the individual for his or her advice and always ask for a referral name with whom you may repeat this process.
Building a personal network takes time and effort. Some referrals may ultimately lead to a dead end. At some point, you may wish to get involved in a formal, professional network to replenish your contact sources.
Professional networks/organizations exist to promote a particular field, provide a forum to discuss issues of mutual interest and, most importantly, to link people together with common goals. As a student or graduate, you need to identify a professional association in your local area with which to get involved. Your major department or Career Development Center can help you identify relevant groups. Are you a psychology major? The American Psychological Association holds local chapter meetings regularly.
There are hundreds of other such association meetings related to your major or career objectives from which you might choose.
When selecting a professional association, there are some questions you should answer:
When you have identified a network organization, determine the time, date and place of the next meeting and inquire as to whether you can attend as a guest. Make a reservation, if necessary. Some meetings are held during lunch or dinner so be prepared to pay the designated meal fee.
When you arrive at your first meeting, find out who is responsible for coordinating the event. Explain to him/her that you do not know anyone and are interested in meeting some of the members. It may feel uncomfortable to introduce yourself to others, but keep in mind that everyone in the room had to begin in a similar fashion. Try to make meaningful contacts with as many individuals as possible. You must establish a professional connection between yourself and each person with whom you converse. Dress and behave accordingly. The best way to establish rapport is to listen carefully to the issues that are discussed, express interest, and communicate your point of view on the subject. Remember the information you want to obtain. If appropriate, create an opportunity to share information about yourself and career needs. Remember to ask for the names of others. In networking at such meetings, conversations tend to be brief because individuals tend to circulate.
Many individuals you meet during a networking meeting will offer their business cards. Be sure to keep them and pencil notes regarding the individual on his/her card. These notes will serve as helpful reminders for follow-up purposes. Your professional impression is enhanced, if you also offer a card to others in exchange for theirs. If you do not have a business card, have a simple calling card (listing your name, phone numbers/address) prepared at a local printing shop.
After any meeting you attend, decide which individuals you may wish to pursue further. You may wish to record notes of these network contacts in a journal. A follow-up phone call, letter, or visit is best determined by the type of relationship that you have established with him/her at that point. In some cases, you are building friendships that will continue long after your information gathering or job seeking goals are met.
A network is like a spider web, spinning further outward as you make additional contacts. Be careful not to press too hard at any one contact point or the web will collapse. You are at the center of the web and it is up to you and your efforts to keep this network up and functional.
Many resources are available in the Career Development Center's Resource Library which will be useful in beginning your networking endeavors. Some of these resources are:
