There are way too many articles about "how to network" and similar topics out there on the web, but it seems like most of them just say "talk to people!" Okay, great, got that. But how do you talk to people? It is especially difficult when you are in college and you do not have professional organizations to join or coworkers with connections. Your current connections are your friends, and while they may be great resources, they are not necessarily the best resources. Attempting to network through your friends could cause resentment and the feeling of being used, so you often resort to just waiting for them to tell you about something rather than taking the initiative. And that's okay, I promise.
So really, I want to tell you how to talk to people and network, especially at one of the most critical times in your life: college. And I want to do it without lists, without typical article formatting, anything. We're just talking.
The first thing I want to tell you is that it will not always go well. If you attempt to contact someone, you may never hear back from them. You may even get a rude response. There is nothing wrong with you, just keep trying.
Your professors are going to be one of your first point of contacts for networking, especially ones that have been at the university for an extended period of time. If you're in a large class, it's hard to make yourself memorable. Don't stress about trying to make yourself memorable by making a great grade, instead, try doing something unique.
In my calculus class, on one of my take home group assignments, my professor had us draw a "pi-rate" ship (haha pi, get it?) for extra credit. I told my group members, I got this. Instead of drawing a pirate ship, I made an easy no-bake blueberry pie, made a circular boat out of brown rice crispy treats, made a sail out of a cylindrical pastry (piourettes?) and a sail out of a napkin. I even stuck a pirate Lego man in there for good measure. Sure, I did great in that class without that fantastic extra credit piece, but the more important thing is that I made myself memorable. What professor is going to forget a student walking down in front of 200 other students with a blueberry pie just for her?
You don't have to go that far though at all. Stopping in on office hours just to chat, or sending quick emails work just as well. I went to Thailand for a study abroad this past summer, and surprisingly, while I was there I ended up speaking German. I didn't do fantastic in German class, but I still emailed my German professor telling him about my random language exchange, and as it turned out he remembered me and we chatted for a little bit. Professors love hearing that their class somehow affected you in "real life."
Finally, they can be a fantastic resource for finding internships if you do well in their class. Email them asking them if they have any recommendations for places, and not only may they lead you to an internship you hadn't formerly seen, they may even recommend you for it. Plus, professors often lead awesome lives and can tell you fantastic stories, so there is an added bonus.
Don't be scared to go up and talk to speakers you have in classes or at events you go to. They are there to present, which obviously means they enjoy spreading information. Ask them something relevant but concrete about the information they just gave you (how many women would you say your charity organization has helped? Not: what do you think the greatest piece of technology is? way too open ended). Now you've made a quick point of contact, and ask them if they wouldn't mind you emailing them with more questions later.
Now I'm going to tell you something I hope you've already done. Get involved! Seriously, if you haven't joined a club yet of some kind... well I mean really, what excuse do you have? There is bound to be a club that meets on a night you are able to meet that you would be interested in attending. Do it. Speakers galore and often awesome resources for reaching out to others. Use the tips above in clubs as well!
If you have any more questions on how to talk to people or want to know how to approach a situation, please let me know and I will do the best I can to help!
-Rachel
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| Four of my friends and I with Nnaemeka of SmallHolders Foundation and Tom of Safari Professionals |
So really, I want to tell you how to talk to people and network, especially at one of the most critical times in your life: college. And I want to do it without lists, without typical article formatting, anything. We're just talking.
The first thing I want to tell you is that it will not always go well. If you attempt to contact someone, you may never hear back from them. You may even get a rude response. There is nothing wrong with you, just keep trying.
Your professors are going to be one of your first point of contacts for networking, especially ones that have been at the university for an extended period of time. If you're in a large class, it's hard to make yourself memorable. Don't stress about trying to make yourself memorable by making a great grade, instead, try doing something unique.
In my calculus class, on one of my take home group assignments, my professor had us draw a "pi-rate" ship (haha pi, get it?) for extra credit. I told my group members, I got this. Instead of drawing a pirate ship, I made an easy no-bake blueberry pie, made a circular boat out of brown rice crispy treats, made a sail out of a cylindrical pastry (piourettes?) and a sail out of a napkin. I even stuck a pirate Lego man in there for good measure. Sure, I did great in that class without that fantastic extra credit piece, but the more important thing is that I made myself memorable. What professor is going to forget a student walking down in front of 200 other students with a blueberry pie just for her?
You don't have to go that far though at all. Stopping in on office hours just to chat, or sending quick emails work just as well. I went to Thailand for a study abroad this past summer, and surprisingly, while I was there I ended up speaking German. I didn't do fantastic in German class, but I still emailed my German professor telling him about my random language exchange, and as it turned out he remembered me and we chatted for a little bit. Professors love hearing that their class somehow affected you in "real life."
Finally, they can be a fantastic resource for finding internships if you do well in their class. Email them asking them if they have any recommendations for places, and not only may they lead you to an internship you hadn't formerly seen, they may even recommend you for it. Plus, professors often lead awesome lives and can tell you fantastic stories, so there is an added bonus.
Don't be scared to go up and talk to speakers you have in classes or at events you go to. They are there to present, which obviously means they enjoy spreading information. Ask them something relevant but concrete about the information they just gave you (how many women would you say your charity organization has helped? Not: what do you think the greatest piece of technology is? way too open ended). Now you've made a quick point of contact, and ask them if they wouldn't mind you emailing them with more questions later.
Now I'm going to tell you something I hope you've already done. Get involved! Seriously, if you haven't joined a club yet of some kind... well I mean really, what excuse do you have? There is bound to be a club that meets on a night you are able to meet that you would be interested in attending. Do it. Speakers galore and often awesome resources for reaching out to others. Use the tips above in clubs as well!
If you have any more questions on how to talk to people or want to know how to approach a situation, please let me know and I will do the best I can to help!
-Rachel
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