Networking Begins with You!

Perhaps your working right now on a personal statement for a summer opportunity or you're trying to imagine who should write a letter of recommendation (LOR) for you.  Most individuals think about references when then need them to write a letter, but a LOR begins long before you read the program description on the internet.

Confused?  I want to present this to you in a way you can finally get it.  When you request a letter from a professor, it should be in the context of a professional relationship with that professor.  How do you establish that?  Networking.

Oberlin College & Conservance Norman C. Craig '53 Lecture Hall

Most of the time students meet professors in a classroom.  They're in the back, slouched in a seat with a sweatshirt on and a pair of ripped jeans.  The professor, however, is in front of the room, but he can still see you yawning and playing on your phone.  Perhaps this is an early class and you just can't seem to drag yourself out of bed to get there.  The professor is in the classroom; she notices.  This is the beginning on an ineffective networking opportunity as well as a possible "F" in the class.

I recognize that many of you might be the student in the front of the room or somewhere in the middle who is coming on time, prepared and working hard on the course.  What I want you to know is that the professional relationships you build through school matter.  They can either help you gain further training like summer internships, on campus opportunities, jobs, contacts in the local area, and that amazing letter of recommendation that helps you transfer or get into a degree program.

So what should you do:
1.  Introduce yourself before or after class
2.  Be on time and engaged in class
3.  Ask questions
4.  Make an appointment or drop by during office hours
5.  Ask for help when needed in the subject matter
6.  Make your professional and career plans known to the professor
7.  Ask for advice and potential strategies to advance your knowledge and experience
8.  Say thank you
9.  Visit periodically during office hours
10.  Remain professionally engaged after the class with updates on your progress or questions

It's never to late to begin a professional network.  In fact, today is a great day to start.  Remember, networking begins with you! 

Upcoming on the blog:  Specifics tips for the letter of recommendation