A study by Mark Gronowetter at Harvard found that 75% of all professional and technical positions are filled through personal contacts. Your personal contacts will open doors in the future in ways you cannot foresee. Networking is one of the best ways to find an internship.
What is Networking?
Networking is a way to obtain information, advice, support, resources, and referrals. Networking is talking with professionals in your career field to market yourself.
Steps to Networking
1. Start
List every single person you know. Then tell each of those people what kind of job you are looking for and ask them if they know anyone working in that field.
2. Set up a Meeting with the Contacts
Call the contact people whose names you received. Tell them who referred you first. Then tell them who you are and why you are calling: ie., you are interested in entering this field and were told he/she would be a good person to talk to. Tell each person you would like to learn as much about preparing for the field as you can and that you only need a brief meeting (20-30 minutes). Ask what day is good for a meeting. Be flexible and polite.
3. At the Informational Interview
Be on time, dress professionally, give the person a firm handshake, be pleasant, and polite. In your meeting (informational interview), let the contact know what you are looking for (career objective) and ask for suggestions on how you might pursue it. Ask questions to obtain information and to learn all you can about that career field.
Have Questions Prepared.
You may want to ask:
• How did you get your job?
• What are employers looking for in this field?
• What type of background or training is necessary for a position similar to yours?
• What personality traits are helpful for this type of work?
• What is the demand for people in this field?
• Does your organization offer internships?
• What do you find most satisfying about your job?
• What are some of the frustrating aspects of your job?
Then do the following to Market Yourself
• Give them your resume
• Ask if the person knows of any entry level positions or internships open in that career field
• Ask who else he/she would recommend that you contact
4. Send a Thank You Note and Continue Contact
Always follow up a meeting (informational interview) with a thank you note. The note may be written or typed depending on the industry/organization. Be personal and specific in your thank you.
Keep in touch with your contact by following-up with a phone call periodically (about once a month). In the follow-up phone call, ask if he/she has heard of any job openings or internships since you last met. Ask if the person has thought of anyone else you could contact. Thank the contact again for all his/her help.
5. Log Contacts
Keep a personal log of your contacts and who they were referred by. It's important to be able to keep track of everyone you have talked to, and when, so that you can make follow-up phone calls.
6. How Can the Internet Help Me?
There are some useful tools available on the web to aid your networking process:
• linkedin.com: A professional networking site
• facebook.com: A social networking site that's useful to network with old friends and collegues. NOTE: Be aware of your internet profile - search yourself on Bing, Google, Yahoo and other search engines to see what potential employers will find. This is becoming an increasingly common screening process!
• online.onetcenter.org: A website for researching occupations
• acinet.org: Explore careers, salaries, education and training |
