How to: Network (Part 1: Before Attending)
- Emeka Balakumar
- Jan 29, 2020
- 5 min read
Networking is hard for a lot of us. It’s something we are introduced to but takes practice to matters. As a first year Schulich student, it was one of the first things I learned past the academics. Everyone kept saying how networking was one the most important skills you will learn. The only issue with that is that I had absolutely NO idea how to network. Of course, there are workshops that can teach you those (which did help me get an idea of what to do), but the experience given to you when you go out at attend networking events is something that can’t be replaced. Therefore, I created a quick networking guide (with the help of LinkedIn Learning) based of the things I have learned by attending networking events.
Before Networking:
Business Cards
These are more important than you think. Though they may seem like something insignificant to someone who is still a student, professionals have told me about the importance of having business cards when attending a networking event. Some of these reasons include, but do not limit to:
1. Recruiters are meeting 10 – 50 people per event: Majority of recruiters will meet on around 10 – 50 people per event. That means many faces, many conversations, and a lot to remember. These small cards give a recruiter a reminder of who you are and the conversation you had.
2. Identify yourself: Business cards are a good way to stand out from the crowd. It is a representation of who you are. The colours, font, and even description you add all create an image of when recruiters look back at your card.
3. A way to reconnect: Your business card helps recruiters reach out to you after the event in an easy way. No need for paper and pen anymore, these cards hold all the information they need to contact you.
A reliable and cheap printing company that I trust is Vistaprint. They have many unique business cards designs that are easy to customize and reasonably priced for the quality they give. Of course, there are many other companies who do print business cards, but this is just my recommendation of one that many students go to for their printing needs.
There are a couple main points you want to have on your business card. Below is a check list of some of the key things that most recruiters will look for. There are more you can add, but these are just the basics that are needed:
ð Name
ð Title (Year of Graduation, any important position you hold, etc.)
ð LinkedIn Profile Name
ð Phone Number (Cell number is recommended)
ð Email (Keep it professional and something you check often)
ð Choosing a design that represents you (Don’t choose a baking template if you aren’t a baking business)
LinkedIn Profile
This is the tool you would use to tell your story. In one page, you want whoever looking at your profile to understand who you are, your goals, motivations, experience and much more. Most recruiters will either look at your resume or your LinkedIn profile (sometimes both) to assess who you are professionally. At many networking events, I have used my LinkedIn profile to connect to people I have met and as a resume to those wanting to recruit me for positions. Making sure this is up to date before you go to your event is important as you might not get a chance to update your profile before they view it.
Lauren Jolda explains wonderfully on the key sections of your LinkedIn profile and how to shine above the rest. Below are some of the key points that I have learned while watching her course but for those who want to learn for themselves, the link will be down below.
For starters, there are 4 main portions to your profile and some key points I learned from each one:
1. Profile Photo and Headline
a. Profile Picture
i. Use good lighting and make sure your face is clear
ii. Profile photo should just be YOU
iii. Keep it professional
b. Headline
i. Your headline is your professional brand, always keep it updated and customized
ii. Use industry keywords to catch the eyes
iii. Pinpoint what you are doing
iv. Bring in your passion to your title
2. Profile Summary
a. This is where you showcase yourself
b. This is the number one thing recruiters use when looking at your profile
c. Address: your motivations, accomplishments, experiences, etc.
3. Experience
a. Always keep your current portion up to date
b. Talk about what you did in your portion – lead with what you have accomplishment and then how you did it
c. Start with a one to two sentence introduction that summarizes the company you worked with
4. Skills, Endorsements and Recommendations
a. Always check your top three skills and endorsements, make sure it reflects who you are
b. Add a range hard and soft skills
c. Use recommendations to build your reliability
d. Volunteer experience shows your contributions and passions beyond work <- just as important as work experience for students
Dress to Success
The last thing you want to do is over or under dress at an event, as it is easy to stick out like a sore thumb when you don’t follow dress code. Each event has a different dress code, but I’ll be talking about the more well-known dress codes: casual, business casual, and business formal.
1. Casual – everyday clothes that you would wear when going out with friends or for a casual event. These would be:
a. Jeans
b. T-Shirts
c. Runners
d. Open Tow Shoes
2. Business Casual – office wear (casual wear when working). This would include:
a. Dress Pants or Skirts
b. Blouse
c. Dress Shirt
d. Dress
e. Closed toe shoes
f. Jumpsuits if appropriate
3. Business Formal - professional meetings and interviews. This would include:
a. Suit
b. Blouse
c. Dress shirt and tie
d. Dress
e. High Heels or Dress Shoes
Research
This doesn’t apply to every networking event, but in many cases, you’ll have an idea of companies or/and people invited to the event. This is usually posted by the people holding the event as a promotion method but can help you a lot more than meets the eye. The point of these events is to ask questions that you can’t google, that would just be a waste of time. To be able to do this, look around for information about the person, their career, their current and/or past jobs, other material (such as old lectures or conferences done). Here a few reasons why I find this step crucial to an insightful networking meeting:
1. Conversation Starters – These people have probably gone through the same experience with multiple other students. The same set of questions are generally asked in these meetings, and they get boring on the receiving end. A little research can go a long way in conversations. It can move past from those generic questions and bring more insightful and interesting topics instead.
2. Shows Your Interest – Doing this research shows that you are invested in the learning, not just using them as a portal for jobs. It really makes a difference as it shows that you have put some effort into learning about the career that you are going into and ready to show yourself as someone different
3. Be Someone Different – Don’t be the average joe, they won’t be able to differentiate you from the 10 other conversations they had that same day. You want to stand out in some way. Doing some research might help you find common interests that you could talk about. It doesn’t always have to be work related. Connecting with them on other levels will help them remember you.
Link to Course: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/rock-your-linkedin-profile/connect-to-opportunity-with-linkedin?u=2174970
Hashtags:
#LilChampions2020 #networking #howto #businesscards #vistaprint #businesscasual #businessformal #casual #research
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