Sarah Rodriguez

1. Help Your Students Help
Themselves: Communicating
the Art of Networking
Sarah Rodriguez
Professional Development Day

2. Introductions
 Sarah Rodriguez
 Higher Education Administration, PhD
program GRA
 Gates Millennium Scholar
 Experience with career counseling

3. Objectives
 Attendees will understand and be able to
communicate the art and impact of professional
networking with the students that they work with
 Attendees will learn relationship-building
techniques and be able to access networking
resources that they may share with the students
that they work with
 Attendees will become a valuable resource for
their students in regards to professional
networking

4. What is Professional Networking?
 Networking - No. 1 way most people actually find
a job or internship
 ART of gathering helpful information from
personal contacts and professionals in student’s
field of interest
 Learn about career paths, job leads
 It’s a way of life - Not just when looking for a job
 Regular practice
 Realizes the value in building and maintaining a strong
networking relationship throughout their career

5. Examples of Professional Networking
 Informational interviews
 Face-to-face contact
 Introduction by mutual
acquaintance
 Online
connections, social
media

6. Significance of Professional Networking
to College Students
 Need to fight for jobs!
 Unemployment Rate – 9%
 Gives students an edge
 80% of job market is NOT POSTED
 More networking connections, more
opportunities

7. Why this is our problem,
not someone else’s
 Not JUST Career Services issue
 Work closely with students
 Students trust us
 We have very
large networks!

8. Obstacles to Professional Networking
for College Students
 Lack of emphasis placed on professional
networking
 Limited knowledge of techniques, soft
skills
 Confusion on how to maintain professional
networks and relationships

9. What we can do to help…
 How to present professional networking
 Techniques for professional networking
 Resources for professional networking

10. How to Present Professional
Networking
 Present networking as an ART
 No one’s process the same
 Not just about getting the job
 Students will develop their own style, process
 Believe in the process
 Kick the negativity – “It’s not what you know…”
 Have them visualize it, draw it
 Not just for business students
 Encourage general “professionalism”
 A word on giggling, dress, handshakes etc.

11. And…more.
 Mention it early, often. Expect it from your
students
 Starting…YEAR 1
 Building in networking everywhere you go!
 Networking as relationship building
 Can’t just meet people
 Help students see networking as a 2-way
street where BOTH benefit

12. And some more…
 Demystify networking – not some back
room, wheelin’ dealin’ or cosmic force
 Give Handouts
 5 must haves for each student
 Be blunt, constructive criticism
 Don’t sugar coat it. If it’s broke, let’s fix it now.
 Help them set up goals for improvement
 Invest in them!

13. Techniques for professional networking
 Start off well
 Firm handshake – demo
 Eye contact
 “Hello. My Name is ___. It’s a pleasure to meet you
(their name).”
 STUDENTS MUST RESEARCH
 Know about field – What Can I Do With This Major?
http://career.utk.edu/wcidwtm/wcidwtm.php
 Salary
 Key people
 Let people know their interests, plans

14. Techniques…
 Maintaining relationships
 Not enough JUST to meet them
 Try to connect, at least every 3-6 months
 Voice, email, Facebook, Twitter, conference
WHATEVER
 Utilize connections, not just for
themselves
 Student look at themselves as a networking
instrument

15. Resources for Professional Networking
The Five Must Haves for Every Student
 30 Second Commercial
 What is Networking?
 Networking Contact Sheet
 Informational Interview
 Connecting Experience with Career