Tag Archives: networking

Building up a Base

Posted on by
Reply

At my High School graduation party, I got to see a lot of different people interact. At first, I wan’t sure how it would work out having friends, family, teachers, coworkers, co-members, and family friends all in one place. Somehow, it all came together. The first few minutes were the most stressful, but after more people trickled in, I felt more and more at ease.

I talked to my parents about after the party, in a bubble of happiness about how it turned out. My mom responded to my thoughts well. “They are your people,” she told me. “You’ve built up a relationship with them, and that’s why everything worked out so well today.”

What my mom said was true. These people were people I had gotten to know over time, whether friends, teachers, or fellow board members. I didn’t connect to everyone automatically, I worked to communicate, check in, and visit with each and one of them at one point to get to know them better, and so they knew me better. That is what networking is.

Finally, graduation came and went. The end of one story and the start of another. It felt amazing to be done with high school, but it was scary to think about starting completely over in a new place where I wouldn’t know anyone, and no one would know anything about me. I knew that I’d need to find new people to connect with, and that I’d have to start networking over again.

Halloween themed net 🙂

Thinking about it, I had to think about how to start fresh. How do I network from a clean slate?

  1. Start with your teachers. Your professors don’t have to be your favorite people, but you want to have a good relationship with them if you can. Not only does it make the class more fun, but it will help you if you need help with classwork or if you want recommendations for other classes to take.
  2. Check out the Career Planning & Resources. They are friendly and helpful, and  willing to help you  with searching for jobs and internships, working on resumes, or tackling life after college.
  3. Talk to upper-classmates and alumnae. These people know exactly how if feels to  study at Scripps, and some of them have your same interests. Look for opportunities to communicate with people in the Scripps Community Network or the “See Alumnae” tool on LinkedIn to build Scripps connections in the outside the 5Cs to make links to things off campus.

Things to remember:

  1. Be sincere. Be honest. Be genuinely kind, passionate, and curious in order to start building a relationship. It will help you so much more to be authentic with yourself and the person you’re connecting with.
  2. Be interested. People can tell when you’re faking interest, so be sure to let your passions and energy shine through. Ask questions, aim to learn more about the other person and about the subject of interest.
  3. Reach out. If you know someone who works with something you’re interested, don’t be afraid to ask questions about the position or similar opportunities. Chances are your connection would be happy to help you find out more or set you up with some possibilities!

Starting off as a first-year at Scripps, I’ve had to keep in mind all of these things as I navigate uncharted waters. With starting fresh, I want to build a strong base here at my new home, so I have a good springboard to the years after that.  From start to finish, I’ll be networking and making connections to help find my way.

Taking Initiative in your Internship

Posted on by
Reply

So you want to stand out in your internship position? Well if you do you’re at the right place. Because who doesn’t want positive recognition? The classic advice is to take initiative. Seize opportunity. Much easier said than done, especially for some of my introverted friends out there (love you guys!). Coming into an internship or first job you may not know exactly what it is you want to ultimately do. So how do you target and find opportunities that will be helpful? I suppose the answer is, what’s the harm in trying? In perusing any opportunity that comes your way. The primrose path is rarely straight and you never know what will ultimately lead you to what you want to be doing. I came into my internship with an unclear idea of what I wanted to do, explored a ton, took on responsibilities, and now I can take that knowledge into the future. But I never would have had some of the most amazing experiences if I never took initiative.

The first few weeks in my internship were really spent learning what my place was and learning the basic expectations and responsibilities of my role. And it is of course imperative to perform the tasks you are given to the best of your ability. Make a name for yourself as someone reliable. Someone that will not only do what is required, but do it efficiently and with their brain turned on. How can you make the lives of those around you easier? People tend to remember little things. Things that don’t even require much effort on your part. Like if you are asked to gather and organize information, presenting it in an easy to read fashion. Once you have developed a name for yourself as a reliable worker and quick thinker, don’t be afraid to ask if you can help with anything.

For example, I was brought in as a Film/TV Development intern which mostly consisted of reading scripts and providing written feedback reports on them to executives. But there was also a Virtual Reality division of the company and I was dying to know more. Although I knew very little about VR at the time, IT LOOKED SO COOL! So I saw the team working on a project one day and asked if they needed any help. I didn’t know it at the time but I would end up learning so much about this emerging industry. But not only that, it furthered my reputation as someone who was invested in making the most out of my time. And that initiative will help you stand out in people’s minds in the future. Maybe those who have been working longer will have a better perspective on this, but from what I experienced, it is the little things that make you stand out.

Virtual Reality Vr GIF by Saturday Night Live - Find & Share on GIPHY

Six Savvy Things To-Do After Your Summer Internship Ends

Posted on by
1

So you nailed the interview and got the internship. Now that the summer is over and the internship is completed, what’s next?

1. Write your employer a thank-you note.

It seems to go without saying that you should thank your employer or internship coordinator for the opportunity. Whether or not you ended up enjoying the field you were in that summer, it is important to acknowledge the time and effort put forth by those who trained and assisted you. This note should be handwritten and personal.

2. Ask your employer for constructive feedback about your work from the summer.

Although it can be uncomfortable to receive constructive criticism, this step is essential. Not only will it help you grow as a person, but it will additionally demonstrate your dedication to the company. Showing interest in developing your work-ethic is a lifelong skill that should be mastered early.

3. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile.

You just spent your summer working—give yourself a pat on the back! Update your credentials while the details of what you did are still fresh in your mind. As always on a resume, show and don’t tell! Avoid generic descriptions and be honest about your achievements.

4. Update and maintain your social networking.

Establishing and maintaining these relationships may lead to new opportunities or simply allow you to pick the brains of professionals in the field. You just expanded your professional network! Do not let these connections go to waste. Add them on LinkedIn and grab their business cards. Send an email if you do any work related to the field during the school year. Often, your employers like to see the impact that they have had on your career and will appreciate that you are still thinking about them.

5. Maintain professionalism.

Although your time at the internship may be over, you should not change your professional relationship with the individuals inside of the company. This goes hand-in-hand with maintaining media-platforms that are professionally sound. The “would my grandmother be appalled at this” rule-of-thumb generally works well here. In addition, filter your opinions about your experience. Even if you do not intend to return to work for the company, you should try to avoid bad-mouthing your employer or their practice. If what you say gets back to them, you may threaten the potential for a letter of recommendation or future employment with the company or those they know.

6. Ask for the job!

If you loved your work this summer, don’t be afraid to inquire about the opportunity for paid-positions in the future. These conversations must be direct, but graceful. There is a time and a place to talk to your employer and it is not in the middle of their workday. If it does not work out, then thank them for their time and move on! You will approach your next experience with a breadth of new knowledge, a firmer handshake, and a bigger smile.

Do you have any tips for following-up on summer internships? We would love to hear them! Leave a comment below and tell us about your experience.

Networking, (Informational) Interviews, and Building Professional Confidence

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t know anyone here and of course the only person I recognize and would talk to right away so I don’t look like a fish out of water knows a lot of people and is really good at this small talk thing. I can’t hang around them the whole time. What do I do with my hands? This glass is is making my hands clammy — oh I have to hold it in my left hand because if I hold it in my right hand it’ll make my right hand cold and if I shake anyone else’s hand I’ll be that girl with the literally cold handshake. Ok… Just stay cool, Franny, you got this.

Oh yes, I’ve been there, the internal monologue associated with networking and talking to strangers in a professional capacity. Between caring about your first impression, talking about yourself with confidence and not arrogance, stating admiration for a company, person, or job without seeming desperate, and all the while taming nerves — I definitely envy people who are naturally as cool as a cucumber when it comes to these type of interactions. I’ve gotten better at them by preparing beforehand and also realizing that 98% of people are not judging me as much as I might think they are (I also had no job when I really revved up my networking and informational interviews, so that flamed up and burned the negative, slimy feelings I had about it out of necessity!). Whether it’s an informational interview, job interview, or networking during an event, here are some tips in preparing to help you stay quick on your toes and put your best-self forward!

1) Do your research. Be prepared to ask meaningful questions, but also be prepared to talk about your experiences and future goals.

Depending on the situation, the amount of research will vary and how you will talk about yourself will differ. If you’re at an event where there are people you do want to connect with, focus on those individuals and not the whole room (especially if you’re more introverted like me). If you don’t know anyone at the event, or know about who is sponsoring it/how it’s sponsored, try to go with a friend or talk to some of the organizers about the group.

While the research about a company, person, and position are very important and should not be skipped, there is equal importance in preparing to talk about yourself. Job interviewers and employers are trying to get to know you, professionally and personally! In an informational interview I had 2 years ago, I was caught off-guard when the interviewee asked me a lot of professional development questions about myself, to which I responded with awkward silences and “oh…um… well.” It was a really staggering moment for myself and that’s when I more deliberately started thinking about executing my passions, efforts, and goals.

2) Show your personality by finding a personal connection.

It is definitely easier to do this if the other person mentions a similar hobby or activity first. But after your research, you’ll have more material than you think. Even if you don’t find anything explicit (No way, you like learning random facts about state license plates, too?!), take note of the circumstance. For instance, asking “What brings you here today?” would work at a networking event and “How do you feel your previous roles have brought you to your current one” would be better for an informational or job interview. I’ve left interviews feeling they didn’t go as well as they could have, not only because I knew my nerves got the better of me, but also because I felt like I didn’t get to show them my personality. When preparing for an informational or job interview, think of a few things that you want the person to know about you before the conversation ends. This tip helps naturally integrating all of your awesome accomplishments into the conversation and is a great starting point for appropriately mentioning other hobbies.When your non-work related hobbies and activities outside do not come up, just remember you can set the tone! The way we hold ourselves says a lot about our personalities, it’s just a matter of being comfortable with yourself and that beaming into confidence.

3) Always say thank you, “pay it forward” when you can, and follow up.

For informational and job interviews, I always make sure to express thank you at 3 different times: once at the beginning of the conversation, at the end, and in an email the next day. After networking events, seminars, or meeting a fellow employee (who works at a different location), I always make sure to send a quick email to whoever I met and had a substantial connection with (don’t forget connecting on LinkedIn, too!) Writing thank you notes, have always been something I enjoy. But in the age of technology and quick turnaround times, stick to email and save your hand written stationery for special occasions.

Even at the beginning of your career, recognize opportunities in which you can give back– whether its getting involved with your company’s internship program, returning back to your college to recruit, hosting current students or recent graduates at your company (much like many of CP&R’s treks), being an alumni interviewer, or sharing job posts with friends and peers who have talked about going into something like that opportunity. I would not have been able to learn as much from Scripps alumnae and other connections if it had not been for sharing their very valuable time and resources!

Finally, follow up. After you’ve gotten your next big gig, tell the people who helped you on that journey! A quick email updating them and thanking them for the advice and information they gave you is great. Following up isn’t exclusive to professional contacts, remember to call up your family, friends, email professors, and the staff at CP&R where you are now!

—

Next week, I will be writing about finding workplace culture fit and personal working styles. See you then, Readers!

Networking in Unexpected Places

Posted on by
Reply

 

This past Monday, I attended the 253rd American Chemical Society Conference in San Francisco and presented research from this past summer, in addition to work that I have done throughout the past school year. Not only was I able to present my own research and discuss it with professional chemists and graduate and undergraduate students, I also had the chance to hear some interesting talks by big name chemists. This was especially exciting as they were talking about some of the newest techniques used in chemical and biochemical labs and discussing research that has exciting potential for working to fight off diseases such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s. Although I did not expect to, I had the chance to network with various companies in the field. Because there were so many people who attended the conference, there were many different companies who were selling their products, in addition to the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. They had people giving away free products, trying to help people learn more about how they communicate to the scientific community, and also to network with students who could potentially become their employees. I am particularly interested in working to communicate science to the general public. Currently, there are very few resources that make it easy for the general public to learn about the newest scientific advancements, as most are published in academic journals and magazines. The Royal Society of Chemistry has journals for nearly every sector of chemistry, for example, environmental and biochemical, but they are all written for an academic audience in mind. When I was visiting their booth at the conference, I was interested in learning if they had any resources for the general public and was told that they publish a magazine entitled Chemistry World. The woman I was speaking with told me that they are often looking for freelance writers and that she could take my contact information and would have someone get in touch with me when they returned to the UK. I was very excited about the prospect of getting in contact with someone who works at the magazine and hope there is a chance that I could do an internship of some kind with them.

What I took away from my time at the conference was that putting yourself out there, at a place where people are looking to talk with individuals who are interested in the work they do, will often pay off. I don’t know what kind of opportunities they might have for undergraduate students, but the fact that I will be in contact with them is exciting and means that there is a potential for me to work with them and learn more about what I might want to do for a career in the future. I was also reminded of one of my favorite things about science, which is that it sparks conversation, debate, and curiosity. There were people who were genuinely interested in learning about the research I had done, and I was excited to share my findings with them. I found myself being sucked into lectures that were discussing entirely new topics to me.

I am so grateful for the experience of spending time with people who are just as curious about science as I am, in addition to being able to network with the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Have any experiences at conferences or networking with future employers? Comment below!