Networking: The Key to Your Professional Success

Networking:The Key to Your Professional Success Ann Blasick Assistant Director Division of Professional Practice Georgia Institute of Technology March 7, 2009

What is Networking?

The process of discovering and utilizing connections between people. Networks stem from friendships or business relationships. Everyone knows other people, and thus has a network. But "networking" implies movement beyond one's immediate network and involves tapping into other people's networks. What is Networking?

Networking isn't a process of making cold-calls to people you don't know. It's talking to people you do know to ask them to introduce you to others. It’s introducing yourself to new people and letting them know what type of job you’re looking for. What Networking Isn’t

Expanding Your Network

Consistently cited as #1 way to get a job • The more people you meet, the more opportunities you’ll find • Many jobs never get advertised • People hire who they know and trust • CareerXRoad's2007 Annual Sources of Hire Survey: 34% of new hires brought in from outside an organization were due to employee referrals Why is Networking Effective?

Attending conferences like this one! • Family, friends, neighbors, classmates • Professional groups (IEEE, SWE, NSBE) • Fraternities and sororities • Social clubs or religious groups • Strike up conversation in the doctor’s office, gym, student center, at a baseball game, etc • Talk to professors after class or during office hours • Talk to advisors or grad students • Alumni directories • Networking websites such as www.linkedin.com Ways to Network

GT Alumni Directory • Tiffany Norman at tiffany.norman@alumni.gatech.edu • GT Alumni Association LinkedIn Group • To join, visitgtalumni.org/pages/career • GT Alumni Associations Mentor Jackets • Jane Stoner at jane.stoner@alumni.gatech.edu Networking with Alumni

Know your goal • Prepare 30 second introduction • Who are you? What can you offer? • Business cards: the currency of networking • Always offer to reciprocate assistance • Keep tracking spreadsheet • A note on professional happy hours Networking Tips

Email or call the person. • Be concise. Identify yourself, identify how you obtained their contact info, and state why you are contacting this person • List an action item. This may an inquiry about internship opportunities, an inroads for a job you’ve applied to, or a request for an informational interview. • Request a follow-up to this email, via phone or email. Give your contact the choice of how to continue. Networking Steps

Talking with people in fields you are considering to gain understanding of an occupation or industry and to build your network. • Leave meeting time and place up to person in the field • Bring questions • Keep to about 30 minutes • Ask if there’s anyone else they’d recommend you talk to • Don’t ask for a job • Send thank-you note or email Informational Interviews

Professional Networking Sites – Do’s and Don’ts

Professional version of Facebook • Over 35 million users from 170+ industries and 200+ countries • Connects you to your connection’s connections • Let’s you see who knows who! LinkedIn According to comScore, U.S. visitors shot up 22% to 7.7 million from Dec 2008 to Jan 2009.

Professional Networking with LinkedIn My LinkedIn Page Your Connections: 327 Two degrees away: 35,300+ Three degrees away: 2,583,400+ TotalUsers I can contact through an Introduction: 2,619,000+ LinkedIn

http://web.mit.edu/career/www/workshops/networking/whatis.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/career/www/workshops/networking/whatis.html • http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html • http://www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html Resources

Another person for your network! Ann Blasick ann.blasick@dopp.gatech.edu 404-894-0735 My Contact Info

Networking: The Key to Your Professional Success