The More People You Know, The More Places You'll Go

Networking is essential in terms of professional development for students. It’s all about making and keeping up with connections. It’s incredibly important to do; our most current Post-Grad Report shows that a large majority of students gained connection with their first job through networking. 70% of students reported that they gained contact to their first employer through networking; this included working for the employer in the past and contact through employees, a professor or other faculty member, friends and family, alumnus/alumnae of Virginia Tech, a peer from a club, sorority or fraternity, and career and job fairs.  With 70% of students reporting that, it’s hard to deny that the saying, “It’s all about who you know,” is largely true.

Results compiled from Virginia Tech's 2014-2015 Post Grad Report

So how do students go about networking? Well, there are many ways to go about doing this. Let’s start with the most common one: job and career fairs. We are fortunate enough to go to a school that hosts a variety of career fairs every year with hundreds of employers. Be confident enough to attend them! Do your research; figure out which companies appeal to you and what kinds of experiences they’re offering. Practice your elevator speech and make sure that it sounds natural. While going to career fairs and speaking with potential employers can be daunting, at the end of the day, you’re just having a conversation with another person. They’re not scary and they don’t dislike you. They’re there to talk to you about their company and help you figure out whether or not you’re a potential match. Once you make the connection with the recruiter at the fair, be sure to ask for a business card and contact information so you can send them a thank you note or email after having your conversation.

Another great way to network is using your existing connections. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends about what their internship positions have been like and if they have a contact that you could use. Your friends and peers can be one of your best resources, and so can your professors and other faculty or staff members. Faculty members in your major can be wonderful resources. They’ve likely made connections both within and outside of academia and have worked with hundreds of students before you and know who could be good points of reference for you.

Lots of students have a LinkedIn profile but aren’t totally sure how to use it, in a way that is helpful for them. First, make sure you have a strong profile. Include a professional headshot, a summary, past experiences, education, and skills. Start adding people you know—send them a customized invite stating how you met each other and saying you’d love the chance to connect. Something great LinkedIn offers is a Student Jobs Portal. This site allows you to search for internships or entry-level jobs and shows you if you have any connections with people at the organization.

Networking is all about communicating with others professionally, and it's definitely something that needs to be practiced and developed. Although it can be daunting, it's a great way to find a path to a good internship or first job. After all, the more people you know, the more places you'll go.

Welcome to Blogger, Brianna Hamade

Brianna Hamade is a senior studying Public Relations with a minor in Leadership and Social Change and cognate in Marketing Management. Brianna has been very involved in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, where she served in multiple roles, including Sisterhood Chair, Standards Committee, Recruitment Chair, and currently acts as the House Supervisor. Brianna loves watching musicals and spending time with her friends and family. Last summer, she had an internship at Booz Allen Hamilton and is planning to return there full-time after graduation this May. Brianna's favorite parts about being a Peer Career Advisor in Career Services are getting to meet and interact with students and helping them to become successful in meeting their goals. 

Getting EXCITED about getting EXPERIENCE

As the trees begin to blossom and the grass becomes greener every day, a lot of us are distracted by what is going on OUTSIDE. Spring semester is coming and going faster than we may think, and you may be thinking more about your summer or future break plans. The great news is we are here to help you figure out how to start gaining some experience OUTSIDE the classroom.

Your degree and classwork are very important to your career path, however they are not solely reflective of your skills. Classes are great for theorizing, time management, and providing background knowledge in your major. Gaining experience helps you to be more self-aware and discover what you are looking for in the future. You may enjoy working on a computer, but learn through an experience that you want to work more with people. This is always better to do sooner rather than later in what we call the “real world.”

Employers are consistently looking for work and relevant experience on a student’s resume. You can gain experience through a variety of ways, including: internships, externships, summer jobs, co-ops, volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, student organizations and undergraduate research.

It is never too early to start gaining experience in your field of interest, so start as soon as you can! However, it is important for juniors and seniors to actively look for these experiences, as they are entering the work force much quicker than underclassmen.

Research before and during your experience searching is key. Be sure to understand the types of jobs that would be a good fit for your interest and skills. Once you have an understanding for what you are looking for, you can tailor your searches better. 

In keeping an open mind, learn to think beyond your major. Check out our post graduation report to see what other graduates are doing after graduation, and possibly what companies they are with as well.

Career Services has other resources that can help you in your job and internship search. All of these resources are linked through our website.

Hokies4Hire

• Hokies4Hire is a database that lets students search for co-ops, internships or full-time positions that have been posted by employers specifically looking to hire Hokies.
• The database also allows you to participate in the on campus-interviewing program, and post your resume to the online resume database.
•  https://www.myinterfase.com/vt/Account/LogOn?ReturnUrl=%2fvt%2fstudent

Career Shift

• A comprehensive online resource that allows you to bring everything together to search for jobs in once place and you can save your searches. Great for location specific or industry specific searches and you can find contacts at a particular organization.
•  http://www.careershift.com/Default.aspx?sc=VT

GoinGlobal

• This resource allows you to search for international job postings and tips on relocating to a new country, as well as over 40 major U.S. cities.
• https://www.career.vt.edu/scripts/GoingGlobal/login.asp

The important thing to keep in mind when attaining these positions is to keep your options open. Know that there is no one-way to search for experiences and you can create your own path. But you never know where experiences might take you, with whom they might connect you, and what skills you will gain along the way!

To find out more about how to attain experience, start with this site: http://www.career.vt.edu/Experience.html

Meet Our New Blogger

Samantha DiBiaso, currently a junior at Virginia Tech, is writing some posts for our blog this semester. She plans on graduating next year with a double major in Public Relations and Religion and Culture, with a minor in Leadership and Social Change. In her free time, she loves running, crafting, and enjoying a movie night with family and friends. As a Career Services Peer Career Advisor, she truly enjoys getting to meet new people every day and provide them with the resources they need. Last summer she interned with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and after graduation she hopes to continue to serve others by working for a non-profit organization. This summer she cannot wait to lead a 3-week service trip to Peru, and then meet the new class of 2020 Hokies as an Orientation Leader at Virginia Tech.

Apply Some LUCK to Your Next Interview

Have you ever felt like you accomplished a goal because you just happened to be in the right place at the right time? In career development, a theory that embraces this idea is called planned happenstance. Last semester our advisors read more about this theory in a book, Luck Is No Accident.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day this week, here are some tips for you to have “the luck of the Irish” in your next interview.

Look for something you have in common with your interviewer. If you notice and mention something you share, you will make yourself and the interviewer feel more at ease. For example, if you had an interview with me and shared you liked the Monet print on my wall, we could discuss Impressionist artists. Or, maybe you see that your interviewer has a VT class ring, so you could ask a question about his favorite VT memory.

Use resources to research your interviewer(s) and the company. You will be more relaxed if you feel like you know a bit about your interviewer before you meet. Tap into the organization’s web site, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Google. And, CareerShift links you to articles where a contact is mentioned online. If you want to do in depth research, contact a reference librarian.

Come prepared to tell stories. Your stories make you different from all the other candidates. For example, as you talk about your perseverance, citing specific examples like you ran a marathon or you raised your GPA, will prove to the employer that you have that strength. Use the STAR formula where you describe a particular situation, the tasks involved, the actions that you took, and the results of the situation.

Keep on keeping on. All you need is one employer to make you an offer. If you are getting interviews, but not offers, meet with a career advisor to talk about your experiences. Consider doing a mock interview. We can videotape your interview and make suggestions. Use Interview Stream to work on your answers to questions you find challenging. Practice: the only way to get better at interviewing.

Follow these tips in your next interview, and see if a little luck comes your way. 

I say luck is when an opportunity comes along 

and you're prepared for it. 

Denzel Washington