The Power of Networking for College Students

College student can further there future goals by tapping into connections and networking opportunities available for them. Networking involves building and maintaining contacts and relationships with other people such as, students, faculty, family, and friends. Having good networking skills will get you further in the long run. Your advisers and other contacts are more likely to want to help you while you're still a student. It's less pressure because you are just asking for advice, and not yet looking for a job.

That means if you want to see what someone thinks, who works in the industry you want to go into or even request an informational interview, now's the time to do it. Grow those relationships while there's no pressure, so those contacts will want to help you when you transition to the work world. Another good networking skill is your friends parents. They've got decades of experience and are probably willing to share their expertise with you, and maybe even their contacts, too.

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Students tend to overlook their parents friends when it comes to networking, but those parents are often well connected or know people who are. They'll still be around after you graduate, but it can be less awkward to ask for their advice and guidance while you're in school. You want to build up your resources before you need them, so that way, when you actually are looking for a job, you can go in and tap in. Another idea is to get out of the bubble you feel comfortable in.

The isolation of some college campuses hold back learning, but when it comes to networking, students can get ahead by networking off campus.

Those who are shy can talk without having that face to face interaction. Also, if you don't Sterling 2 feel comfortable with strangers, try contacting your alumni. There are people you know that are out there working in the career field you may want. Another good networking skill is an internship. It is tremendous, both in terms of skills and contacts. Employers often hire full-time workers from their internship, which means having an internship puts you ahead of other job seekers.

In addition to giving you real-life experience to put on your resume, an internship puts you in eyesight of people who work in your field of choice, which means they're more likely to think of you when job opportunities arise. Networking is really important if wanting to succeed in your career or choice. It puts you out there to be seen by the people who could potentially employ you. Don't forget about family and friends who surround you daily, they could be the most help. Knowing how to strategically use networking sites might help you get the boost you need.