ideas for college students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from Prof. Tamara Fudge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's true that jobs don't grow on trees

plant your job search tree!

... but trees also don't grow without some nurturing!

Building a network of contacts is an essential process in eventually getting that dream job you want. This isn't as hard as you might think, but it does take a little thought and planning.

Read the steps provided in these few pages to get you started on growing your network.

 

1. Who do I know?

Sit down with your spouse, a trusted relative, or close friend and think of people you know. These people don't have to be working in your field to be able to provide you with some great connections! Write down your list and include any contact information you have for each person. Once you have begun connecting on a professional level with the people on your list, you'll be able to add friends of friends to your networking plan and your tree can start to grow!

To help you start your list, here are some people you probably know:

  • Spouse/Significant other
  • Friends
  • Acquaintances
  • Professors
  • Classmates
  • Relatives
  • Neighbors
  • Current coworkers
  • Hairdresser
  • Mail carrier
  • Dry cleaner
  • Computer repair person
  • Bartender
  • Car repair person
  • Doctor
  • Dentist
  • Veterinarian
  • Clergy
  • Banker
  • Plumber
  • Electrician
  • Old high school friends
  • Former teachers and coaches who would remember you
  • Former co-workers and bosses
  • Your children’s teachers and coaches                      
  • Parents of your children’s friends
  • Your parents and their friends
  • Anyone whose phone number is stored in your cell phone

Within no time at all, you'll realize that you have connections to a lot of people already. Managing that list could be made easier by using Microsoft Access or Excel: here are some customizable templates you might like to use.

Once your list is started, you will need to complete your toolkit. Click on page two to find out what other tools you should have to network:

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