Students

Making Connections

2012-07-25

The most important thing to remember when you start your college career is that every person that you meet can be a beneficial connection to have. My time here at WPC has been a great experience because of the opportunities that I have been provided. How did I get these opportunities in the first place? By networking! I have participated in multiple internships, gotten job offers, and even got to travel and represent WPC all because I cultivated relationships with the right people. Attending career mixers and career fairs are great ways to meet new people. Also, student organizations provide a great platform to network. To some people, having to enter a room and approach strangers can be a nerve-racking experience but it should be enjoyable. These are some the things I have learned from my networking experience:

1. RELAX! Being out of your comfort zone is good for you.
2. Have plenty of business cards handy. If you don’t have any, get some! Vistaprint is a good website to design one and order a batch.
3. Don’t be afraid to approach someone. Remember that they want to meet you too or else they wouldn’t be there.
4. Don’t dismiss someone because they are not in the industry you are looking to get in. Like I said earlier, they might know someone who you could connect with.
5. Most importantly, be sincere and remember that you are there to see what you can provide and how you can help the other person. Going in thinking that they should be offering you something is not the best first impression to make.

Although I am naturally an outgoing person, I still get a little nervous when going to networking events but the more often you go, the less and less nerve-racking it becomes. Most recently, the advisor for the student organization I am involved in mentioned to me a job opportunity that she thought I would be a good candidate for. She gave me the contact info for the employer and I got it after I applied and interviewed. I’ve been at my current job as Venture Specialist for the Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative since February and absolutely love it! The best part about it is that my job requires me to network all the time. With graduation not too far away, I am sure that all of the business cards I have collected will come in handy!