Networking
Job Search: Networking
What is "networking"? Networking is a way to:
- Find the "hidden" job market
- Contact people of all types
- Build and maintain relationships
- Make people aware of your career interests and goals
Information from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
- NACE - Tips for Networking as an Introvert
- NACE - The Networking Challenge
- NACE - Right Place, Right Time, Right Attitude - The Elements of Successful Networking
- NACE - Quick Tips for Networking with Alumni or Industry Recruiters
- Developing your Elevator Pitch
Information from LinkedIn
- Building a Great Student Profile
- How to Build a Professional Student LinkedIn Profile
- Using LinkedIn to Find a Job or Internship
The Ultimate Linkedin Cheat Sheet from Leisure Jobs
Sources of Possible Contacts
- "Warm" contacts: (people you know)
- Friends of parents and parents of friends
- Professors, friends, relatives, former employers or any professionals these people recommend
- Members of campus-based organizations you belong to now (advisor, upperclassmen, others)
- Your career advisor
- "Cold" contacts: (people you are meeting)
- Members of professional organizations
- People in the information business-resource center directors or librarians
- Human resources directors, public relations officials, or public information specialists
- Community service agencies and area chambers of commerce
- BU Mentor, an online network of Bradley Parents and alumni willing to serve as career mentors.
- BUConnect (User ID and password required. Student access available from the Alumni Relations Office)
How to contact people in a network
- Contacting by phone:
- Consider calling before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m.
- Offer a personal introduction
- Identify your purpose for seeking an appointment
- If you are calling as a result of a referral, state that person's name early in the conversation
- Arrange a mutually convenient time
- Indicate that you need only 20-30 minutes of their time
- Express a need for a personal interview as opposed to a telephone conversation
- Contacting by letter or e-mail:
- Offer a personal introduction
- Identify your purpose for seeking a meeting
- Type all letters in a business format and double check for good grammar and spelling
- Always indicate in the closing paragraph that you will either:
- Call on a specific date (usually one week after you mail the letter) to arrange for a convenient appointment time
- Follow up with additional questions (e-mail)
