Cultivating Connections

Cultivating Connections: Using the Social Network to Thrive in a Dynamic Job Market

Jocylen Ashton, Executive Director of Internships & Career Services

As we all grapple with the headline trends of layoffs and the frenetic world of work—“hybrid,” “remote,” and “returning to the office”— navigating it all and deciding on a strategy can be a lot. No matter where people are in their career journey, deciding the best route to career success can be unsettling. When I am asked, “what’s the one thing someone can do to enhance career success?” I think about what advice I can share that is universal at any stage of someone’s career. Simply put, it is cultivating connections. While there is not one single route for building connections for career success, a key element to have in your toolkit is a strong online brand. Having active digital connections is essential to evolving your career today, so don’t let a LinkedIn profile or connections grow stale.

We advise Menlo students to keep their LinkedIn connections active and growing, but it’s best practice for career growth and resilience for everyone. If you are a career changer, you can learn what you need to do to upskill and successfully shift careers directly through your connections, perhaps even networking your way to that next promotion. Even if you are not actively searching for employment, you can use LinkedIn to connect with current and former colleagues and link to people you meet at networking events, conferences, and so on.

One student I worked with was struggling to translate their military experience into their next career. New to the business world, they didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do. Networking events felt very big to start, so I encouraged them to try job exploration by connecting with classmates and all working professionals from their part-time MBA program. They gained confidence using “warm” contacts through the classroom and worked their network for introductions. They eventually networked their way to a great role as a financial analyst. Another student found their way to an internship by setting up at least one informational interview per week for two months.

The main takeaway is to make cultivating your network a habit. Networks can be invaluable to staying informed, tracking industry trends, and finding your next career opportunity. Or perhaps, if you are already in the career of your dreams, pay it forward: help someone else on their route to career success by accepting that next request to connect.

Menlo College is committed to alumni career success. The Internships and Career Services Office encourages all Oaks to make their connections count by learning good habits through a self-paced LinkedIn Master Class, free to members of our Menlo College community at https://bit.ly/limenlo.

Meet The Author

Hometown:

My hometown is Los Angeles, but I have Southern roots. My parents were part of the Great Migration of African Americans during the late 60’s. I am a proud first-generation college graduate from the University of Southern California, a great generational leap made possible by their move to California.

Outside Interests:

I work on initiatives that focus on access and education for children. I have supported community efforts for exposing children to leadership as well as access to STEM education for African-American youth in the Bay Area. For fun, I like local urban hikes and crafts, such as the beginning pottery class I’m taking now.

What gives you joy at Menlo College?

I have enjoyed the kindness of the Menlo culture, and the ability to find ways to actualize ideas. Everyone is very open to ideation, and dreaming big. My days are busy, but there is joy in knowing that I joined Menlo at a time when leadership is tackling the changes in academia with a focus on innovation at Menlo. I am excited to have the opportunity in my role to build on expanding the connectedness between a student’s academic path and the pursuit and application of that knowledge to careers that resonate and change lives.