Networking

How to become a master at networking

TINSLEY MERRIMAN Staff Reporter @MerrimanTinsley

Networking is a useful tool for anyone who would like to get a leg up in the professional world. By net working, one can meet with professionals and gain an understanding about the field they want to enter, according to the Missouri State University Career Center website. This will also help discover hidden opportunities that may pave the way for a future career.

Just like any other skill, networking takes practice. Networking can be both in person and electronic. The Career Center website gives tips on what to do when meeting with professionals. “Making the initial contact can be uncomfortable but can show a lot of confidence and genuine interest if done professionally,” the Career Center reports. “You will never have a second chance to make a first impression, so plan ahead and be courteous of their time.”

The Career Center lists one of the first steps of networking as creating a web around oneself. By creating a wide networking web, you have available contacts for future employers to reference when considering you. The Career Center advises attending networking groups and conferences related to your desired career. This way, you will gain professional sources for later.

Another major step of networking, according to the Career Center, is preparation. Having a plan on how to introduce yourself makes it easier to do so. This plan allows you to present your questions and strengths up front instead of later. The Career Center

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calls this a “30-second commercial” style of pitching ideas.

“The key to a successful interview or networking opportunity is setting a positive first impression,” the Career Center states. “By preparing a 30-second commercial, you will have a concise overview of your experience, strengths, skills, achievements and goals.”

Sometimes, one’s network can lead to a new area of opportunities. Meredith Fineman, founder of Fine Point, a company that helps develop leadership skills through public relations, talks about this in a report for the Harvard Business Review.

When moving to a new area, Fineman suggests you keep an eye out for people with similar goals and interests in your field. This is where the “30-second commercial” comes into play. By having a planned out introduction, it makes it easier to establish connections anywhere you go.

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“First, figure out the types of people you’d like to get in touch with and what you want from them,” Fineman said in the article. “Be as concrete as possible: Why do you want to get connected? Is it for a specific job? A specific industry? To get to know someone you admire? Do you want to correspond with them, get together with them or work with them?”

A large number of employers today look at your social media before hiring you, according to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey. CareerBuilder found in a survey consisting of 1,000 managers and human resource agents that over half check up on future employees through social media.

“Seven in ten employers (70 percent) use social networking sites to research job candidates during hiring process,” the survey findings report. Before applying for a job, you should look through your social media and see if you have anything that could be seen in a negative light. According to the Career Center website, to establish a positive reputation, one must have a clean online presence. “The first rule in developing a positive, professional brand (aka reputation) is to clean up any ‘digital dirt,’ which includes profanity, inappropriate images, etc,” the Career Center reports. “Then, use social media to promote yourself as a professional and to network with others.” For more tips on how and why to network, you can visit the Career Center portion of the MSU website at www.careercenter.missouristate. edu/students/Networking.htm. The website also provides resources such as the “30-second commercial” and a social media critique to help with creating a network.

Students enrolled in any college must still follow a universal professional dress code.

Dresses and skirts at knee length and cling, wrinkle-free clothes that fit appropriately are encouraged for all business styles.

“Well groomed: clean body, hair, and nails; hairstyle is controlled and professional looking (not messy or in your face, and fragrance (perfume, co logne) is subtle or not used,” said the Career Center Website. “Avoid Patterns, colors, and styles that are too flashy or loud, too much or too flashy jewelry, and caps or hats (except for religious purpose).”

JCPenny recently held a Suit-Up Event on Feb. 9, where the company gave students, faculty and staff an ad ditional 60% off career dress apparel and shoes.The event took place at the DRESS Continued from page 10

File graphic by KAITLYN STRATMAN/ THE STANDARD Dressing your best is a part of working as a professional.

Battlefield Mall, and the discount was given to those who showed their BearPass during checkout.

The event was sponsored by the Career Center.

Students can also find affordable secondhand professional clothing at Red Racks, Plato’s Closet and Uptown Cheapskate.