Scholar Laureate – Delegations For Career Exploration

Networking is a skill that will benefit you throughout your academic and professional career, so it’s important to start expanding your connections and building your network while you are still in college. There are many articles that feature information on how best to form new professional relationships, but we’ve featured a few key choices with some basic advice to get you started or to refine your current practices. Your study abroad experience during ISLP will be a great time to use the tips found in the following articles.

Have any useful networking tips to share? Leave us a comment!

In this article from About.com, Penny Loretto explains 10 tips to keep in mind when applying for finding an internship or a job:

1. Prepare an "Elevator Speech"
   An "elevator speech" gives you an opportunity to provide the most important information about you to everyone you come in contact with. You want a succinct personal introduction on your most important skills, accomplishments, and assets. You will include your college, major, and any relevant facts about your academic interests and motivations in this initial conversation. Previous experience as well as volunteer and co-curricular pursuits can also be included. You will also want to include your areas of interest and what type of career you are looking to gain experience in.
2. Contact People You Already Know
   Begin your internship search by contacting friends, family, faculty, and former employers. These connections might know of existing opportunities or know of people currently working in the career field that is of interest to you. Faculty are a good source to consider when looking for internships since they usually know of other students who have had similar interests to yours and who may have completed internships in the field.
3. Do Informational Interviews
   Informational interviews are a great way to connect with alumni from your college as well as connecting with professionals currently working in the field. Be sure to prepare a list of questions and ask about any entry level opportunities that the employer might have available. At the end of the interview, you can ask the interviewer if they know of anyone else in the field that you should be talking to.

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WikiHow explains the basics to follow when making new connections:

1. Break your stereotypes about networking. If you're reading this article, you're probably familiar with the benefits of networking, but you've avoided doing it for a variety of reasons.
2. Build your social network. If you hate small talk, this will be the hardest part, but you'll improve with practice. The key is to smile and take a genuine interest in other people's lives.
3. Find out who knows whom. When you're talking to people, find out what they do for a living and for fun, as well as what their spouse or significant other, nearby family members, and close friends do for work and recreation, too. It may be helpful to make note of this in your address book so you don't lose track of who does what.

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Once you’ve practiced (or gain a good grasp of) the previous tips, there’s always room for improvement. In this eHow article, learn how to further excel your networking skills:

1. Compose a brief introduction for yourself. You may need to compose several versions of this speech, each customized to particular situations. For example, if you are interested in finding a new position or starting a new business, you might write two versions of your speech--one for employment contacts and one for venture capitalists.
2. Practice your introduction by standing before a mirror and paying close attention to your posture and stance. You should try to exude confidence by keeping your shoulders back and your eyes up.
3. Find a friend or someone you feel comfortable rehearsing your short introduction in front of. This should be someone who is willing to listen and give constructive criticism to help you perfect your introduction or icebreaker.

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For more useful information on networking, check out these links:

Networking Tips for the College Student

How to Network Effectively