6 NETWORKING 101 Making connections and building relationships are vital skills that can help you launch your career before it even begins. Networking can be intimidating, but if you develop a strong network while still in school, doors will open when it’s time to look for internships and job opportunities. We spoke with Victoria Teicheira from OSU Career Services about simple but effective strategies for expanding your professional network during college. From tips on making the most of career fairs to leveraging LinkedIn and campus resources, we’ll cover core networking dos and don’ts to help you get a headstart on strategically and authentically building your professional community. Attend events where you can meet new people. Structured events, like career fairs, speakers’ series, and open houses, are great places to build your professional network because they allow you to meet all kinds of people. A less formal way to make network connections is by joining organizations. Organizations or clubs related to your field will enable you to meet people in similar fields of study. You never know if you may someday interview or work with someone you met in a university club. However, think of every event you attend as a networking opportunity—specifically, any career services event. Career fairs are valuable because the attendees are direct employers with whom students are getting connected. Smaller events that aren’t as big as a career fair can be beneficial, as the attendees only meet 5 or 6 students. Those intimate settings can be a real opportunity to generate sound, quality connections. It’s all about not knowing what could come from an interaction, so try to meet as many people as possible. WITH OSU CAREER SERVICES ‘ VICTORIA TEICHEIRA 1 Photo courtesy of OSU Career Services.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAxMjk=