Monday, September 16, 2013

Connect Four: Four Tips to Maintaining a Meaningful Network

By: Emmy Petit-Frere, Toppel Peer Advisor



Career Expo is over; Phew!! All the efforts of getting your resume critiqued, business cards made, brushing up on your interview skills, updating your Linkedin, finding the perfect approved outfit, whitening your teeth, and finally combing your hair have allowed you to connect with many prestigious employers at Toppel’s Career Expo. What next though? You’ve made the connection, but you may not have landed a job or internship right on the spot. No worries; many students attended the career expo, and you may have just felt like part of the crowd, but this is where you truly get to stand out. Many of us make connections, but never use them or don’t use them effectively. Here are few tips to keep you connected with all the great contacts you made at Expo!

1. Make a List
  • Make a list of all the employers you met at Expo along with their contact info
  • Use this list to keep record of when you contact them, what you talked about, and other important notes such as company mission, values, etc.
  • This list will make it easier for you in the process of contacting your connections

2. 48hr. Rule
  • Contact the employer within 48hrs upon meeting them
  • Thank them for their time speaking to you
  • Remind them who you are, when you met, and express the possibility of interest

3. Empowerment not Employment
  • Seek Advice, not employment
  • Offer to volunteer in order to gain more knowledge
  • These types of efforts impress employers more than you think and will be beneficial in your development and may potentially land you that internship or job

4. Consistency
  • Pick a day/time of the month solely dedicated to connecting with your network
  • The more time you put into your network, the greater your network will be
  • Build your bridges even if you may not need to cross them at this specific time


Remember, it’s not only important to get connected, but to stay connected! These 4 tips should help you in making those connections meaningful and potentially beneficial to your career development. Good Luck Cane!



No comments: