A little story to get us all thinking – By Maria McGinnis
When I was a graduate student in Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I was a member of a student organization – NAMA, or the National Agri-Marketing Association. I was the lone graduate student in the group, but unlike many of my fellow graduate student cohorts, I really lacked a network on the UW campus. I did my undergrad at a much smaller campus and simply did not know the “key players” in my industry. I used organizations like NAMA to network with professionals. One such networking event was a breakfast that brought professional and student members together. I remember that day – it was a complete blizzard. But I got dressed in my modest professional garb and made the treck to the Clarion Hotel in Madison.
I sat next to the one person I knew – Jenny Dierickx (then an undergrad at UW). She was sitting next to John Rozum, who was good friends with Jenny’s former internship supervisor, radio personality – Pam Janke (The Fabulous Farm Babe!). John and I got to talking and had a nice conversation about career goals and his road to success. A few months later, John was hiring for an assistant – I saw the job posting and applied. The fact that I met John at a NAMA networking event created common ground that other candidates simply didn’t have – and I got the job.
How does a student make use of professional connections?
At the Career Fair on Monday, you met some great people. You had meaningful conversations with recruiters from organizations relevant to your career interests – and it’s clear that you will use these new found connections for the job and internship search. Now comes the real challenge – how do you make the best use of your contacts and even make them “work” for you?
Why LinkedIn Is Everything
LinkedIn is a wonderful resource that allows you to form a professional network without being too intrusive. You should try and connect with all of the recruiters you met at the Career Fair, especially those that you know you made an impact with. Be careful though, don’t be too pushy if they don’t want to connect. When sending them the invite to connect, make sure to say something about meeting them at the Career Fair, rather than just using the “stock” greeting. Using LinkedIn and adding new information to groups will help you stand out from your competition. Plus it puts your resume right in front of the right people. Most recruiters and business professionals simply can’t do their jobs without LinkedIn. If you don’t have a profile, you are missing out on a great resource to organize your network.
Following Up From the Career Fair
On Day 7, you followed up with all of the recruiters you met. This will provide another opportunity for you to stand out from your competition and make meaningful connections with the recruiters. Remember to ask CALS Career Services for the names of recruiters you spoke with if you didn’t get business cards. Not all recruiters give out their personal business cards – and many run out at the fair. As a point of protocol for yourself, get in the habit of asking for cards. Another way to stand out is to have your own business cards. For seniors, WAA offers a small number of free cards to students who respond to an email. For everyone else, we recommend making a small investment in personalized and professionally made cards – check out VistaPrint.
File them Away
After you have made your initial connections with employers, create a filing system for contact information what works best for you. Some people organize their cards in a Rolodex with dates/event names written on the back. Others prefer an electronic method such as excel to store contacts. Sadly, many students simply lose track of connections they meet at various networking events – or feel like they are being too pushy by emailing or calling recruiters to check-in. It’s true – there is a fine line between being too bashful and too pushy, but the bottom line is that you need to communicate with people in your network in order to stay relevant and top of mind. Your connections can lead to opportunities in the future when their company has an opening that fits your interests. Staying organized is key to managing your network.
Use Your Network When Applying
When searching for jobs and internships, make sure to use the network you have created. On LinkedIn, you can actually state that you are actively seeking a job or internship. Make sure your headline says something like “Currently seeking my first challenge” or “Future Science Professional Seeking Internship”. Your connections may see this and have open positions for you. When you apply for jobs, make sure to contact people that may have a connection to the job. Maybe they work for the company, or know someone who does. Again – your connections can’t help you if you don’t reach out to them. LinkedIn comes in handy here again – send them a simple message inquiring about the open position asking if they think you would be a good fit for the position. If (and when) they say “yes”, you can actually make reference to this referral in your cover letter. This will help your application really stand out. Many companies have a referral policy that could even result in an automatic interview if candidates refer to a current employee.
A powerful network can do wonderful things for you when you are applying to internships or full-time positions. As the old saying goes – it’s often not what you know, but who you know. Remember – online connections are great – but nothing takes the place of face time. Make sure to keep attending events and going to career fairs.
