Viable networking tips for new grads and millennials, by a millennial.

1. Networking Tips
that New Grads
Can Actually Use
By Suman
Sridhar

2. Talking to people? Making new friends?
Yeah, right! As rapper Drake
says, “No new friends!”
Or not.
As strong as the bonds form at
your alma mater, you’ll likely
have to network to get ahead in
life.
(Bet you’ve never heard that
from your career counselors,
right?)

3. Networking is when people form a web of connections in
order to leverage opportunities for their career or social
lives

4. The following networking tips
I’ve created can apply for
your personal and
professional lives
• I’m no career counselor, but I’m still a young
professional. I’ve chosen to compile and share what
works for me and those around me, and it’ll hopefully
work for you too.

5. So You’re a Little Shy
As an introvert, I have my own hang-ups with networking
But today, we have help with the vast array of digital
tools at our fingertips. It’s time to put the “social” in
your social media channels!

6. We’re All in the
Same Boat
• Every single person has been affected by the
tenuous market on some level.
• Every person has been cutting back or doing more with
less, and many people who already have jobs struggled
to get there.
• Therefore, those who have a job are likely more
than willing to lend a helping hand to people
starting out.

7. It’s okay to be a
loser
When I first graduated, my friend and I crashed a
birthday party with the sole intent of meeting new
people. Everyone had already formed cliques.
After hovering awkwardly by the refreshments, I
finally walked over to a clique and said, “Hi, we don’t
know anyone here.” All of them looked at each other
and said, “We don’t know anyone either. ”
Everyone, my friend included, admired my bravery.
And we all ended up going on vacation to Mexico
together! True story!
A picture from my trip to Mexico with
new friends

8. But don’t be a tool
Play nice! No one likes it when strangers
bother them for a job or internship. Ask
informational questions and ask for
advice. If they have any sense of decency,
they’ll offer to help connect you with your
desired employer or point you in the right
direction.

9. If you’re interested in
starting a career…
• The first words out of your mouth should be
about your professional interests.
• This way, you will become the go-to person for
that kind of work.
• For example, I love to write and received a
degree in English. Therefore, my friends and
associates know me as a writer. Whether
you want to be a graphic designer or plumber,
keep the description of what you’re interested
in simple, so people around you can easily
remember it.
“Personal branding is about
figuring who you are and what
turns you on and then monetizing
it. When you find something that
“Personal branding is about
figuring who you are and what
turns you on and then monetizing
it. When you find something that
feels right, concentrate on
feels right, concentrate on
refining your skills and educating
yourself about your chosen field.”
refining your skills and educating
yourself about your chosen field.”
Kelly Cutrone, famous
publicist and mentor to
Kelly Cutrone, famous
publicist and mentor to
many millenials
many millenials

10. Let’s get digital,
digital
From in-person parties or events
with new people, your goal should be to
walk away with one point of
contact. This can range from telling
someone to Facebook you or find you
on LinkedIn, or maybe you’ll gain a new
Twitter follower. Better yet, you should
make the effort to friend/connect
with/follow them!
Do you recognize the ’80s song
that inspired the title of this slide?
Chances are, the song came out
before you were born. Okay, it
came out before I was born too….
Do you recognize the ’80s song
that inspired the title of this slide?
Chances are, the song came out
before you were born. Okay, it
came out before I was born too….

11. Love your LinkedIn
• You need to get on LinkedIn, like, yesterday.
• LinkedIn is how I got my first job (by checking out a posting in my college’s alumni
LinkedIn group).
• Every prospective hiring manager and recruiter I’ve come across has viewed my
LinkedIn profile.
• These days, many hiring managers only view your LinkedIn instead of your resume.
• Take Mike Volpe, CMO at HubSpot: “I spend almost no time looking at résumés at
this point,” Volpe said. “A quick Google search based on the résumé typically takes
me to their LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, Facebook page or blog, all of which
tells me a lot about how he or she interacts with people on a daily basis.”

12. Still not convinced?
Check out a post by a young woman who used LinkedIn to
launch her career:
“This LinkedIn Connection is Half the Reason I get Paid Today.”

13. What else has worked for me?
Viewing job listings on my college’s alumni
Job board
Participating in Google groups and viewing
Twitter feeds
Asking coworkers for help (for new grads, this
can be other people you’ve worked with during
internships)

14. Just Remember
Social media should ideally be a supplement,
not a substitute, for offline connections
Someone can be completely different in-person than they are online. For
professional relationships, see if (after a few messages) your contact would
be willing to have a quick coffee meeting with you.
For personal connections, invite that new acquaintance out sometime. Trust
me, they’ll be grateful you did. Maybe you’ll find a new vacation buddy!

15. It may take time, but of course it’s
worth it
• I graduated college right when the market crashed. Lucky me!
• I had to intern for a year, do odd jobs, and take classes before
I found a position in my desired field: online marketing.
• It’s a field I’ll always find exciting and interesting, and since
then I’ve gotten the chance to work in New York City and Boston,
be published on sites like CNBC, and interview with some top
brands like HubSpot and TechTarget.

16. By Suman Sridhar
@Suman_Sridhar