Approximately 80% of all jobs are secured through networking!
What is networking?
Networking is the process of developing personal contacts for the purpose of career exploration and/or job or internship assistance.
If you are not a person who already knows many people in your career field of interest, you can establish these relationships.
Who should I contact?
ANYBODY can be a potential networking contact. Consider the following list to help you get started:
-Family friends
-Neighbors
-Relatives
-Professors
-Former Employers
-Personal friends and their contacts
-Former Co-workers
-Local Politicians
-Religious Leaders
-Club/Organization affiliations
Take advantage of our Alumni Career Exploration Program (ACEP)! ACEP is a database of almost 3000 alumni who have volunteered to share information about their career paths with students (read more about ACEP on the following pages).
Call up companies you are interested in working for and ask to speak with an employee there. Who do you know who does NOT like to talk about himself or herself?
How do I start once I have the names?
We suggest that you arrange an informational interview, or meeting with each contact to learn about what they do and what their career field is like (see sample questions further into this guide).
Informational interviews can also be useful even if you DON'T YET know what career you want to pursue. They can either help you to decide if an occupation is right for you or provide advice on how to find work in a field that you have already determined to be a great fit.
