With the highly anticipated days of fall-break fast approaching, I have begun to think about the ways in which I hope to network during this time. Making connections from your hometown can be invaluable. You might be surprised by how much these people can impact the development of your career.
For example, when I was trying to land an internship last summer, I was very thankful that I had worked so hard to cultivate these important relationships. In essence, my first internship did not offer me enough hours to fulfill my Scripps Summer Internship Grant requirements. I was down to the wire with only a week to find a new one and absolutely no leads. After a lot of thinking, I remembered that my dentist had mentioned completing clinical shadowing in the field I was interested in. I quickly reached out to her and she helped set me up with an amazing experience that worked perfectly with the grant.
By simply engaging in meaningful conversations during a routine cleaning, I was able to develop a contact that not only came to my aid in a time of need but has also become one of my closest mentors.
Wanting to expand your network even further? My favorite way is to use LinkedIn! If you take a look at the “See Alumni” tool on the Scripps College LinkedIn page, you can search through people by “Where They Live.” Look for some local alumni that work in the field that you are interested and send them an email. Perhaps they know of some local internships or shadowing opportunities that they could inform you of.
It is also important to remember that networking is not limited to people who are already in the career force. Many of your friends and acquaintances will go on to do bigger and better things. For this reason, it is important to network on campus and try to develop relationships with classmates. This can be a simple as sitting next to someone new every day or asking your lab partner out to coffee. Not only will this maximize your network, but it will also increase your wellness.
Connecting with my classmates is one of my favorite ways to network. It’s highly unlikely that your lab group is going to decline going out for coffee and completing the post-lab together. There is a common interest, or disinterest, already built in between the group. In addition, you can generate some great friendships this way.
Every interaction counts, so do not discount anyone! From the barista at your favorite coffee shop to the receptionist at your sister’s work—I have always found that somebody knows somebody. The well-known six degrees of separation theory always reminds us of how connected we actually are to one another. However, I have actually seen a series of studies claiming that the rise of social media has actually decreased this number to approximately 3.9 degrees of separation. Working in a larger, more common field such as medicine or business will decrease this number by an even greater amount.
Do you have any networking suggestions? Who will you be talking to during break? Let us know in the comments below!