NETWORKING OVER THE HOLIDAYS
DEBORAH ODAGBODO
DEBORAH ODAGBODO
As the year comes to an end, there are a few things to look forward to like the semester ending, gifts, bonding with family members, great food and networking. Yes, NETWORKING!
Whether you are attending your parent’s company party, being dragged by your awkward friend to attend an event or reluctantly accepting to have dinner at your neighbor’s home, using the holidays to network is a great idea. For those who would instantly decline such opportunities at the holidays, maybe you should reconsider. For those who attend these events just for the food or music, maybe you should consider a more important goal.
The Family Dinner Party
A family dinner party would be a great place to practice your networking skills. Similar to networking events, family dinners require a lot of planning, can be hectic, and depending on the individual you are speaking with, the conversation can be quite intimidating. Use this opportunity to verbalize your career aspirations. Allow them to ask you questions about your plans. After the conversation is done, ask them to provide you with feedback on how they think you did.
Dinner with the Neighbors (preexisting contacts)
Having dinner with individuals you are being reconnected with be an excellent time to see if they have any opportunities for you. I personally like using preexisting contacts to help me find internships because we already have a relationship, so it’s not difficult to ask them for things. Most people are more then willing to help college students start their careers.
The Company Party
At a company holiday party the main goal should be to develop connections. For example, let’s say you are an economics and geography combined major attending a tech company’s holiday party. At this event you could expect to meet mainly people who are in the tech industry. However, you never know who they know. Similar to you, there may be invited guests who have non-tech professions. As a student in this situation, you should generally avoid asking anyone if they have any available internships or jobs. Instead while conversing make sure to bring up your skills and what you would hope to do in the future. After having a conversation where you highlighted these things, ask if they know anyone who could be a good resource to you. This indirectly causes them to think about and possibly connect you with someone in their network who could provide you with an internship.
Holiday gatherings are a great opportunity to build relationships and to make new connections. By spending even a small part of each event reaching out and talking to someone new, you’ll be building your network and making contacts to extend into a lifetime.
Whether you are attending your parent’s company party, being dragged by your awkward friend to attend an event or reluctantly accepting to have dinner at your neighbor’s home, using the holidays to network is a great idea. For those who would instantly decline such opportunities at the holidays, maybe you should reconsider. For those who attend these events just for the food or music, maybe you should consider a more important goal.
The Family Dinner Party
A family dinner party would be a great place to practice your networking skills. Similar to networking events, family dinners require a lot of planning, can be hectic, and depending on the individual you are speaking with, the conversation can be quite intimidating. Use this opportunity to verbalize your career aspirations. Allow them to ask you questions about your plans. After the conversation is done, ask them to provide you with feedback on how they think you did.
Dinner with the Neighbors (preexisting contacts)
Having dinner with individuals you are being reconnected with be an excellent time to see if they have any opportunities for you. I personally like using preexisting contacts to help me find internships because we already have a relationship, so it’s not difficult to ask them for things. Most people are more then willing to help college students start their careers.
The Company Party
At a company holiday party the main goal should be to develop connections. For example, let’s say you are an economics and geography combined major attending a tech company’s holiday party. At this event you could expect to meet mainly people who are in the tech industry. However, you never know who they know. Similar to you, there may be invited guests who have non-tech professions. As a student in this situation, you should generally avoid asking anyone if they have any available internships or jobs. Instead while conversing make sure to bring up your skills and what you would hope to do in the future. After having a conversation where you highlighted these things, ask if they know anyone who could be a good resource to you. This indirectly causes them to think about and possibly connect you with someone in their network who could provide you with an internship.
Holiday gatherings are a great opportunity to build relationships and to make new connections. By spending even a small part of each event reaching out and talking to someone new, you’ll be building your network and making contacts to extend into a lifetime.