6 Networking Tips I Learned as a Postgrad Marketing Student
It is nearing the end of the semester and I’ve been asked to reflect on my learnings in my Marketing Seminar Series course. It’s genuinely hard to believe that I’ll be done my year-long post-grad program at the end of next week. This semester was interesting, I took a pass-fail course that challenged me to learn through speakers, instead of professor prepared lectures.
Every week instead of a lecture, we would either watch a speaker in person or online. Every speaker was somehow involved in the Digital Marketing or UX Space and we got an interesting look at their jobs as well as their career paths. I have to admit that I learned a lot through this course.
Throughout the semester, we learned about everything from Influencer Marketing to Developing a Business, The Customer Journey, How to Market Marijuana and even how to leverage Shopify to market your business.
The biggest theme in this course, however, was Networking. Specifically networking as a student. When you’re in school, you are always told to seize every opportunity and connect with as many people as you can. We’re all constantly asked about our LinkedIn profiles and our brands. And as young marketing professionals, we are eager to find connections that could lead us to an opportunity. And the reality is, it’s who you know.
Who is going to take your resume to the top of the pile? or Who will print your resume and walk it over to the HR department in hopes of securing an interview?
The job world is all about connections and before I started this program, I was the type of person who constantly sent resumes out and didn’t hear anything back. But now, I know how to play the game a little bit better. So I’ve decided to share a little bit of my learning with you.
Here are 6 Networking Tips That I Learned as a Postgrad Student.
1. Go Outside Your Comfort Zone
Networking can be scary, but the reality is, if you don’t go outside of your comfort zone, you won’t make those connections. The first step is saying Hi, once you get past the first few awkward interactions, you’ll be able to navigate your way around it a lot better. Practice with your friends, practice with anyone. Find an introduction and secure it. It may scare you but it’ll be worth it.
2. Develop Your Elevator Pitch
I have to admit that I’m still working on this but it’s very important! Especially in job interviews when you’re asked, ‘So Tell Me About Yourself’ Work on your 30-second introduction and why someone should be interested in you. SELL YOURSELF. Figure out Who, What Where and How and sum it up in a quick self-pitch. This is key in networking and can help you to summarize your thoughts to pick out key information.
3. The Worst Thing They Could Say is No
During the last week of my internship, I decided that I wanted to talk to some people around the office who I knew of but didn’t know. I was honestly scared to approach them and I thought they would just brush me off as an intern, However, surprisingly they were so happy and we’re more than willing to talk to me for 15 minutes. I came prepared with a list of 5 or 6 questions to ask each of them regarding their jobs and I ended up having a great conversation with each person I reached out to. The important take away from this is that you shouldn’t be afraid to talk to anyone, because the worst thing they could say is no, but what if they say yes?
4. Personalize Your Message on Linked In
The biggest thing I learned this semester was to personalize my linked in invitations. In a class of 70+ people who are all probably trying to connect with the speakers, It can be hard to stand out. Sending a personalized invitation letting the person know who you are and why you want to connect is important. Unless you formally made an Introduction in person, don’t expect them to always remember you. Use the message to remind them and perhaps customize it. If you watched a presentation they gave, definitely note something that stuck out to you! First impressions are important so make it count.
5. Utilize your Connections
The last 3 interviews I’ve had have been because of a connection. I recently saw a job on Linked In and found out that my Dad had a connection with someone in the company, I reached out to him and asked if he could introduce me or make the introduction on my behalf. Being my dad, he was more than happy to, but his help landed me an interview. It never hurts to reach out to people you know, even if you don’t know them well, they may be a great connection that could potentially help you out along the way. People are genuinely nice and usually, want to help you out. Remember that.
6. Be Yourself!
My last point is simple but extremely important with networking and business in general. Be Yourself, promote your value. With networking and job searching, make sure you are always being your authentic self. Inauthenticity is easy to spot and can hurt you later on so being authentic is always the way to go. Everyone has a unique skill set that can benefit them in one way or another, don’t be afraid to share yours.
Thank you for reading! If you made it to the end, just know I appreciate you. If you have any tips that could be useful don’t hesitate to share them with me. Networking can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be.
