Networking
Hello, my name is Shimkus and I'm one of the Career Advisers for the Center for Career Development and Experiential Learning. This presentation will provide you with the tools and essential tips that you need to utilize when you are networking. Networking is the process of making professional contacts who you will rely on throughout your professional career. It is not a transaction, but an ongoing process where you can obtain advice, referrals, and information. It is about who you know and who knows you. Networking is not only limited to professional contacts, but also includes people you interact with within your community. For example, church social gatherings. This also includes people at school, professors, advisers, and classmates. People in your personal life, family and friends, and those you communicate with online, first impressions. Being genuine helps to maintain lasting relationships. When you interact with others, remember to be tactful, outgoing, and sociable because this enables you to be memorable. Most importantly, maintain respect. Negative behavior is a turnoff. Prepare your elevator pitch. Preparing an elevator pitch gives you an advantage in being prepared. Makes it sound conversational, and helps you with building your confidence. Write it down so you can edit it and update it. Begin by introducing yourself and provide a summary of what you do professionally. Explain what you want and what you plan to accomplish. Finish by thanking the person for their time. Once completed, practice, practice and practice.
Some work. Social media networking Social media provides a great platform to network, Create a linked in account follow industry professionals that align with your vision and share your professional content. Take advantage of professional development courses and workshops. Pay attention to the news and changes and trends. Remember to always update your privacy settings and keep your personal information separate from your professional information. Networking today includes the use of emails. Here are some tips to practice as you create a professional email. When networking, always include a subject line. Write a professional situation such as Mr.
or miss, or a title such as Dr. Use first names only when it's okay to do so. Be courteous. Pay attention to your tone and avoid using slang or inappropriate topics. Do not use all caps, smiley bases, or emoticons. Keep emails brief and preferably one screen length. Use a signature which your contact information, which you can set as a default free check for punctuation, spelling and grammatical errors. Return emails in a timely fashion, and when replying, include the previous email. Most importantly, save all important E mails. You never know where you're going to have to go back to them. You want to treat virtual meetings as professionally as you would in person meeting. Make sure you are addressed appropriately and ensure that there's proper lighting. Below are a few questions you can ask while you're networking. This allows you to increase your knowledge and assess if the company or organization is the right fit for you. Take a minute to look over some of these questions. In conclusion, networking is an important business goal in every industry. It enables you to connect with others and build trust and foster ongoing professional relationships. Thank you for watching this video. Please feel free to reach out to the career center for any of your career related needs. And don't forget, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with all of our career updates, job postings, and career tips. Thank you.