When it comes to building a career, nothing works like a good network. Whether you plan to take a job after graduation, start your own business, or plan to take on further studies, a good network always comes handy. But unfortunately networks are not built in a day; they take time to develop.
Here are some tips for graduate students to build a good network
1. Seek guidance from your teachers
There is a high possibility that your college teachers are well connected with the industry and could be a good source for referrals. So it is always a good idea to take advice from them. Start off by discussing your career plans with them a little early in the year/semester you plan on graduating, and seek advice on ways to accomplish it. It is very likely that they have ideas that you might not have thought about. Keep them updated about your progress (not a daily status update – but maybe once a month), and see if they can refer you to some of their industry contacts or their past students working in the industry.
2. Start networking with peers and seniors
Most of your seniors who graduated, would have managed to find themselves a career in the corporate world. It is also possible that some of your peers from school and college have already made their mark in the industry you desire to venture into. Get in touch with your old school and college mates. Get to know the friends of your friends. You don’t have to party with all of them, but do keep in touch, so that you could tap into these networks.
3. Intern, Explore – avoid the conventional path
You may think you know what you want to do in life, but chances are you don’t. So use your time in college to explore various options. Explore Just because most of your classmates desire to pursue a particular career, doesn’t mean that it is the best thing to do in life. Attend career fairs, presentations by industry personnel, talks by corporate speakers, and use these forums to find out career opportunities in various industries. Do not be afraid to try out odd internships. If not anything, you will get to meet a lot of interesting people.
4. Be ready to work for free (if required)
While I do not really advocate working for free, at times it may not be a bad idea to take up a ‘short (2-3 months max)’ voluntary (un-paid) project/assignment with a company you are interested to work with. If you build a good rapport with them, if you manage to impress them with your work, you might just be able to bag a job offer from them.
5. Be Professional
Facebook and Instagram are fun, but besides the fun part, they are also extremely powerful networking tools. Use them and other networking sites like Linkedin to create your ‘net’ presence. Be active, but be sensible; be yourself, but be appropriate. Avoid putting stuff on your page that would be sensitive or might be considered offensive. Avoid ruining your ‘net’ image because you never know who is watching you.
Finally, you need to understand that networking isn’t a distress call. Your contacts aren’t obliged to help you. When you get in touch with someone and ask for a job referral, there is a high chance that the person doesn’t have anything to offer. That’s fine. Don’t pester them. At the same time don’t be annoyed because they couldn’t help you. The idea of tapping into your network is just to make them aware that you are on the lookout for an opportunity and that any assistance in that regards will be most welcome.
PS: Eventually when you get a job and start your career, be sure to help others with their careers as well. Pass on the good work.
Jothsna is the co-founder of Academy One, a career guidance and study abroad counseling venture. Prior to founding Academy One in 2005, Jothsna worked as an IT and business consultant with companies like Motorola and Trajen Inc. in the USA. She holds an engineering degree in computer science from Andhra University and a MS from the University of Texas. She also received her MBA from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University, USA.