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3 Tips to Grow Your Network in 5 Minutes

Filed Under (careers, college, millennials, networking) by Nicole on 27-02-2009

Tags: careers, college, millennials, networking

A year and half ago when I came to college I didn’t know anybody on a professional level. Now I’m building a professional network; relationships with people who I would go the extra mile for (and hopefully they would do the same for me). Most college students who want to start networking don’t know where to begin, but it’s not rocket science. On the most basic level it’s easy; you just have to be willing to put effort into the small things.

With recruiters or just meeting someone new, the simplest way to stay connected is the follow-up email. This seems way too simple, right? Maybe that’s why nobody seems to do it. I try to follow up after meeting with someone, whether it’s the first time or the 100th. Immediately. Every time. The key is keeping it simple.

1) Say thank you, you’ll never go wrong. If someone went out of their way for you, send a handwritten note as well as the email. It doesn’t take that long and it shows that you understand that his/her time is valuable. This is a powerful message to send, especially since Millennials get a bad rap for acting entitled. Set yourself apart from the stereotype

2) It’s not about you. You have to make it about the other person. Obviously if you’re looking for an internship or job, those are priorities when you’re networking, but don’t be that person who continually asks for favors. Build the relationship and find ways YOU can do something for him/her. The tables will turn some day, you just have to have faith!

3) Consistency and persistence are key. I send my thank you immediately. Every time. It might feel ridiculous sending a follow up every time you meet someone, but people notice and they appreciate it. Keep it clear and concise. Messages don’t have to be long or drawn out, just thoughtful.

At the end of the day, it boils down to common courtesy. If you shoot an email to someone after you meet it will speak volumes about your initiative. And it literally took five minutes.

(1) Comment

Find the Point.

Filed Under (careers, college) by Nicole on 15-02-2009

Tags: careers, college, leadership, resume

In college, we’re all surrounded by the idea of “building your resume.” What puzzles me about this is the emphasis on getting leadership positions. Many students think that as long as they were an officer in a group, they’re set with “leadership experience.” I’m not saying leadership positions aren’t a good thing, but they can’t be the goal. The goal is what you actually do with an organization; that’s real leadership. There are two goals I have to help me focus in on what’s important in being part of an organization:

1) Evolve. What matters is how you contribute to an organization. This means upholding and extending the group’s vision and seeing where improvements can be made. It’s not about what’s expected from you, it’s what you do beyond that. Give the organization a point! Something to rally around and be proud of.

2) Evolve others. Enabling group members reflects upon your leadership; taking all the credit might help some “status” in theory, but in reality it undermines the group. The best leaders are those who nurture new leaders; don’t be afraid to let others take ownership in the vision or to help them succeed. Some officers have an idea engrained that others succeeding make them somehow less successful. This is opposite of the point; an organization is better off as there is more success among the members.

The bottom line is that evolution is key to finding and keeping a “point” to everything that an organization does, and caring more about that evolution than personal credit. Stop wasting time in meetings wondering “What’s the point?” Either find the point or evolve the organization to create it. This gives real value to your resume; the real world doesn’t care how many hours of meetings you sat through or what you took credit for, what matters is why you were there and what difference you made.