6 minute read
Networking and Social Media
Contacts help you make better informed decisions about your future. Spending time in developing a network of contacts can help develop career ideas and gain great advice. Many jobs are offered to people already known to an organisation so networking is one of the most important, if not the most important, activities in which a job-seeker should engage. Additionally networking can help produce career plans through talking with people in an attempt to understand their job and the associated skills etc. When used appropriately it can help plan your future and get you one step closer to employment.
Building a network
Start local and pursue your own contacts. Approach people you already know, even if their job isn’tof immediate interest to you, as they can lead to people who are. Ask friends, family, academics and GTAs if they know people in the fields you’re interested in and if they could introduce you. You’ll need to prepare a brief introduction about yourself and what you’d hope to get from any connections you make. It’s also a good idea to prepare a few questions that you would like to explore. The internet has made it easy to find people to network with. Social media and online groups are an easy way to source possible connections and London is filled with various societies and networking groups too. You can also try more creative approaches to track down organisations of interest to you and make direct approaches to either request a meeting with an employee or to explore employment potential with them.
Making contact
Your initial introduction may be by email, phone or social media but, whatever the format, it should explain who you are, how you found the contact and that you like to ask a few questions about their career and to seek their advice. Explain why this would be of use to you and look to arrange a mutually convenient time. You do need to prepare for rejection at this stage but many people will be quite willing to spend a short amount of time answering a few questions – buying a coffee can always sweeten the deal too! interview feedback. I can
Information Interviewing
Once you’ve found a relevant contact you may want to engage in an informal conversation to gain information and advice. This is often overlooked by many but it can be an effective research tool in addition to reading books, websites and exploring job descriptions. You may feel awkward approaching people you don’t know and asking to talk with them about heir work however most people actually enjoy taking time to talk with someone about their opinions and experience (most people like to talk about themselves). Use your time to ask about their personal experiences to seek advice and opinion and show a curiosity and interest to encourage them to share. Exploring their personal perceptions and careerdecisions
Making the Most of Mentoring Hansa Shree 2nd Year Biology with a Year in Industry/ Research student
“It was really nice to have someone so invested in my professional, academic and personal development by providing as much support as possible. Being given tours of GSK’s research and business sites gave me unique insights into the firm I was applying to. As a sounding board, he provided a valuable 3rd person perspective which helped me constructively reflect on can be invaluable to shaping your future.
now articulate and track my goals better, and maintain stronger workplace connections.”
Follow-up and maintenance
Manners cost nothing! Effective networks thrive when there is mutual respect and trust between the people involved. Thank your contacts for their time and nurture beneficial relationships by keeping in touch; you never know when the contact may be able to assist you in the future.
One of the world’s largest professional networking sites for making meaningful career connections is LinkedIn. Your profile can evidence your skills and experience just like your CV and once you’ve created a profile you can start to explore data from over half a billion users; essentially you have access to view all these profiles and gain career inspiration and insight! By browsing profile key words like the title of your degree or ideal job titles you can uncover a huge amount of information. To help navigate this massive dataset you can apply filters to explore profiles by industry, geographic location, employer name etc.
You can even filter profiles to show Imperial College graduates. Within a few seconds you can have access to the profiles of people doing a huge variety of work and explore how they advanced their career. LinkedIn enables you to go further than simply reading profiles, it allows you to connect! Once you’ve found a contact you may want to learn more about them or ask their advice - clicking the connect button enables you to reach out to them.
Our top tip is to do this from a desktop/laptop (and not via the mobile app) as you can then enter a short message to introduce yourself and increase your chances of success! Once you’ve secured a connection you can message them and start to find out even more.
This micro-blogging site, where you communicate with others in posts of fewer than 280 characters, can help with your career if used wisely. You can follow organisations and professionals to keep up to date with recruitment trends and boost your commercial awareness in a particular industry or sector. Twitter is also a gateway to a huge range of opportunities, as many organisations quickly and cost-efficiently advertise jobs and internships. Try using a combination of hashtags (#) to search keywords related to your career, e.g. #job #intern #hiring #data.
Your digital footprint
You leave a trace of online activities every time you go online – it’s referred to as your digital footprint and it’s a very good idea to know what it says about you. Type your name in a search engine and see what’s out there. It is possible to take control of your footprint and manage what the world can see about you.
Etiquette
Be careful with your use of language – if you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online! Build and maintain your online brand to present a professional and rounded picture of you. Many employers may try to find you online – make sure what they see is good.
YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat…
In this age of the digital revolution social media is constantly evolving. As the general public move with the trends in innovation so to do organisations and recruiters and you’ll see their online presence in a variety of locations sharing information and stories with their audience. Use these multiple channels to keep connect with potential employers and gain an insight into their culture, values and recruitment practice.
Using LinkedIn and Meetups to network Indranil Dutta, PhD in Quantum Physics
"I have used LinkedIn quite effectively to increase my network of contacts. I first used the search engine and filters to identify relevant professional contacts, who had a similar academic/ research background to me and were fairly new in their current roles. I then requested to connect with that person, adding a personal message expressing interest in what they did (not just asking for a job). People I’m connected to, who know my work, have endorsed my skills and I got a LinkedIn endorsement too for a programming language after doing an online quiz. I also use the ‘Meetups’ app to join groups of interest (in data science), and attend talks, group discussions, tele conferences and such like. As a result, I heard about Silicon Milk Roundabout, a jobs fair you have to apply to attend, where I’ve made contact with about fifteen different companies. I am currently being considered by one of these for employment." 23
