For many students, walking into a large room full of people you’ve never met conjures feelings of dread. There’s a level of anxiety that accompanies fear of awkward conversations — or worse, uncomfortable silences.
As graduation quickly approaches for many Clark students this spring, the importance of effective networking cannot be stressed enough. It is a key to your professional success.
Luckily, the Graduate School of Management’s Stevenish Career Management Center staff are here to alleviate your fears.
Read on for their top networking tips.
Kelly Kochis, Associate Director:
Get their business card. Don’t try to type someone’s name into an app on your phone, and don’t try to remember it. Simply ask for the person’s business card. That way, you’ll have the correct spelling of their full name and job title, which will help you remember them and follow up.
Thank them! It might not have been a formal sit down interview, but thanking someone for his/her time is an important gesture. Always send a thank you note or e-mail to whomever you talk to, and express your appreciation for their advice, time, and insight.
Julie Bolduc, Manager, Career Service Systems and Reporting:
Do your homework. If you’re going to a networking event, know in advance who will be there. Prepare yourself with a few tidbits of information about the professionals who will be there – where they work, what they do. Brush up on some current events happening in their fields. All of that can help make conversation easier.
Smile. It helps make a great first impression! Smiling is an easy thing to do, but also an easy thing to forget. It will relax both you and the person you’ve approached if you look happy to be speaking with the person.
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Maria Barluenga, Assistant Director of International Career Services and Management Instructor
Practice your small talk. Small talk is key to successful networking, but often difficult for students of different cultures. Language barriers can make conversation even more challenging. While some cultures are comfortable with silent moments during conversation, in the United States we often feel it necessary to fill silent gaps with small talk. The hardest part is often simply getting the conversation started. It helps to ask questions that encourage longer responses. Listen carefully to what the other person says and play off of their response. Deepen the conversation with your own experiences and perspectives.
Keep building relationships. Networking is more than a one-time meet and greet. It’s building a long-term relationship. Networking allows you to make connections to people who may be able to help you in your career – now or in the future – and perhaps you can assist them in return. In GSOM, we are lucky to have a supportive group of alumni, all of whom want to help current students however they can in their career search.
