Building Your Network
We all know how small the world seems to have become. With the advent of electronic communication such as the telephone and the television, news began to travel at a much faster pace than it had in the centuries before. With further expansion, the Internet joined the communication scene a few years ago and again the world seemed to fit into a much smaller area as people social circles grew to include those whom they had met through various forums or web sites associated with their particular business or hobby. After that, the origination of forums, chat rooms, instant messengers and blogs brought us all even closer and it is not uncommon for an individual to routinely communicate with people halfway around the globe on a daily basis.
That much being said, what can the power of the Internet do for those college students seeking to find entry level jobs and begin their careers? In actuality, quite a lot. By using the Internet to build a network of friends, acquaintances and counsel, you can better prepare yourself for the job market, learn from the advice of others and even receive tips on where opportunities may be.
One of the best ways to build this network is to start locally. Find out which of your friends, professors and fellow students are also online and ask to be added to their networks. Then discover who their friends are, what groups they are part of and what forums they are posting on. Likely, you will quickly find many common points of interests and you will want to join many of these groups to share your experiences as well.
Then stay in communication. A network is a wonderful thing but showing up five years down the road and saying “hey do you remember me?”, isn’t going to be effective. Keep commenting in groups and chatting with your new friends and you will find your network will grow and opportunities for entry level employment will open before you.
