My Experience with Networking

By: Francis Aparicio-Soto

Photo courtesy of James Madison University

Senior year can be daunting. If you are like me, a senior in college with no internship listed on your resume, then you must especially be worried about finding a post-grad job. But if there is one thing, and one thing only, preventing me from spiraling, it is the underrated resource that I have become very familiar with: networking. 

Here is what I have learned throughout my college experience.

Don’t expect a job offer after one conversation

It is best not to go into a conversation expecting a job out of it. Yes, networking is powerful– but it is not formulaic. Networking is all about building relationships which requires time, and lots of it. Building a relationship with a professional may look like sending a follow-up email after meeting them at a career fair or networking event. Even engaging with their content on LinkedIn, for example, keeps you on their radar. Removing the expectation has helped me maintain these relationships organically over time.

Professors

When students think networking, they often overlook the person in front of them: their professor. How you present yourself in front of your professor is more important than most realize. During my first semester at JMU, I pushed myself to engage with professors and the class itself, and it paid off. Halfway through the semester, my professor offered me a job as a student worker in my major's department. That same professor has written recommendation letters for me and forwards me opportunities for professional development regularly. 

You don't have to become best friends with your professor, but just showing up to class and putting forth the effort to engage with the content goes a long way. Professors can’t write a recommendation letter for a student who's never shown up to class. 

Alumni

The best people to connect with are those who have been in your shoes. JMU’s SCOM Alumni Board offers a mentorship program that pairs SCOM students with a SCOM alumni who acts as a mentor for the student. I signed up this semester for the first time, and I regret not starting sooner. Being able to talk 1:1 casually with someone working in the field that matches my career interests has alleviated my worries about not having an internship as graduation approaches. Coincidentally, my mentor also did not have an internship while she was a student at JMU. The advice given to me in just one meeting was helpful, and I feel more confident now about graduation.

If I learned anything during college and while trying to kickstart my career, it is that relationships (along with your degree) are essential.