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What is networking? The basic definition, in a professional context, explains networking as any interaction that connects you with others.  It is the most important tool in your professional toolbox, and developing connections has the best return on investment of any career-related activity. Despite that, many people resist networking because they feel uncomfortable asking people for help. To combat this discomfort, the best strategy is to develop your network before you need it:

Networking is not something you do when you need a new job or promotion or new client. It is not something you can buy, beg, borrow, or steal when you need it. It must be part of your life and activities as an ambitious, success-oriented young person. You can’t build strong relationships overnight.
~Lindsey Pollak, Getting From College To Career

There are three key parts of networking:

1.  Making connections:  You can network anywhere and there are opportunities at every turn to meet people who might be helpful for your career. There are many ways to find these people, such as attending events on campus where alumni are present (ASK Night, Health Professions Night, etcetera) or using tools like LinkedIn and other social networking sites.

2. Building relationships: The next step in networking is to deepen a relationship by connecting with professionals in person on a one-on-one level. Informational interviews are an excellent way to accomplish this goal.

3. Maintaining relationships: Take this beyond merely sending a thank you card after an informational interview, but also work on maintaining that connection over time. This is where the give and take of the relationship comes in, and is what will transform someone from a casual acquaintance to someone who is a reliable part of your network.

Watch for future posts where we’ll break down each part of networking into easy steps.

I recently had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Phil Gardner, an expert on the job market for college students, give an informative lecture about the current economic realities greeting us young adults after college and how to present ourselves in the market.

Anxious to be as prepared as possible for my transition from college to career, I furiously scribbled down facts about the job market and economy throughout his presentation until 1) my caffeine fuel died and 2) I realized that this factual knowledge wasn’t what was going to give me the edge I needed. Instead I found myself particularly drawn in by his more philosophical advice…dwelling on the surprising fact that one-third of our Gen Y population looks for opportunities in non-profits and another one-third in sustainability.

Why? What does this have to do with anything?

Then Dr. Gardner quoted National Geographic photographer DeWitt Jones to offer another perspective on viewing the world; it was at this point that it all came together for me.  As stated by Jones, Dr. Gardner asked us to consider shifting from “being the best in the world” to “being the best for the world” thus establishing a resilient persona motivated by faith instead of fear.

After being conditioned to be competitive in all of my endeavors throughout my scholastic life, I realized that I have been spending my energy on competing — fearful of losing ground — instead of using that passion, dedication, and energy on other things. Even though we “face-off” when applying for schools, jobs, and winning nationals in sports tournaments, it does not mean that we need to be in a state of constant competition with people. I discovered that I’d rather compete to be the best for the world, not in the world.

Now, as I reconsider my perspectives and move forward on my journey to the so-called “real world” (as if we’re not already in it) I find that I am more willing to embrace change and think outside the box. In order to be the best for the world, I get to figure out a way to best capitalize on my skills and dedicate myself to something that excites me…not something somebody expects of me. The pressure is off. Now I can focus on my mission to figure out just how I fit in, unclouded by expectation and drive for approval.

To rephrase, I’ve undergone a paradigm shift in which striving to be the best for the world will generate a different kind of approval. I can see the people in my life as opportunities to learn, admiring them instead of seeing them as the competition.

Evidently Dr. Gardner triggered something inside of me with this concept; in fact, by the end of the talk I was already feeling amazingly refreshed and relaxed about the future…it was as if all this pressure to be a certain person in a certain job was lifted. I finally got the affirmation I needed — we absolutely have the right to explore and find our fit…and Dr. Gardner just happened to provide me with that unspoken permission.

Dr. Phil Gardner of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute recently visited campus and I hosted him during four days of meetings with students, faculty, alumni, staff, and career service professionals from the Seattle area. Dr. Gardner is the national expert on the job market for college graduates, and while it’s hard to summarize everything he said, there are a few key points I’d like to pass along to Puget Sound students:

• If you’re waiting for the recession to pass and for the job market to get back to “normal,” that’s not going to happen. We’re forging new territory: employers are recruiting in new ways, entry-level jobs require more advanced skills, technology will play an increasing role in the workplace… And liberal arts graduates are well positioned to succeed because of the skills they develop as part of their education.

• Small to medium-sized employers (fewer than 250 employees) will be the employers most likely to hire.

• The majority of positions will not be advertised in traditional ways like online job boards. Networking will be absolutely imperative.

• Entry-level positions require new and more advanced skills that involve analytical thinking, working in teams, developing creative solutions, leveraging technology, and leadership (among others). Check out this list of competencies employers seek in college grads from Michigan State University (where Dr. Gardner works).

• Work to build experiences outside of the classroom; it will be essential for success. Develop the skills and competencies employers seek through career-related experiences such as internships, part-time jobs, volunteer opportunities, entrepreneurial ventures, and others.

• Thinking about riding out the recession by going to graduate school? You might want to think again unless it was already in your career plans or a graduate degree is required for entry-level work in your field of interest. Career expert Alexandra Levit agrees.

• Be resilient! Engage in optimistic realism. The reality is, this is a tough time to be searching for a job. But, as a liberal arts graduate, you have built a strong foundation that will help you succeed. Learn to tell your story, develop and maintain your networks, and be an active job seeker. Take responsibility for your job or internship search and use the resources available to you (CES – hint, hint) to map out a plan. It’s up to you.

Now I don’t know how many of you use planners to stay organized, but I have personally found my planner to be my prized possession. With school, work and extracurricular activities, procrastination and forgetfulness always seem to be lingering, waiting to destroy my life. So this year, in order to avoid those catastrophic subtleties of being a student, I have decided to take on my assignments and activities in a more realistic manner…avoiding the overnight overload. That way, I can manage my time in a way that will leave plenty of time for searching and preparing for a full-time job. With that in mind, the real question is — where do I start in my job search?

Well, excitingly enough, I spent my past semester studying abroad in Granada, Spain. While I was abroad I got to explore foreign cities with different languages apart from my parents. Freedom! In addition to sipping wine in a beautiful plaza alive with gypsies, I lived with a single mother who viewed the world in an original way, completely influencing my perspective of the world. Clearly, as I enjoyed this independent life I really learned more about myself- my values, hopes, and interests. By the time I returned this summer I was in serious need of re-evaluating my plans for the future. So where do I start? The answer is – the very beginning. Square one.

To reiterate, I am starting at the beginning of the job search here. Whether you are a first-year student or a senior about to graduate, I think you’ll be able to find something beneficial in my blog entries that will help you, no matter what stage of the job search you might be. It’s never too early or too late. Like author Lindsay Pollak offered in her upbeat, youthful book “Getting from College to Career,” the best place to start a job search is to “start wherever you are.”

So…where are you?

 About Me:

My name is Lizzy and I am the CES Peer Advisor. My role is to collaborate with the CES advisors to develop ways to reach out to fellow students and share the resources available in our office. I get to show my face and fight my sweet tooth at the weekly CES table scattered with candy that appears every Wednesday, help students with resumes and cover letters, and visit groups on campus to promote CES resources or career workshops (we are flexible and can cater towards the needs of any group…hint hint).

As great as that all sounds, captivating the attention of already-busy college students is not the easiest task; especially when searching for jobs can seem so daunting. AND I still have my own job search to consider…I’m on the verge! As I track my full-time job search I invite you to follow along in hopes that you might learn as I am learning.