Linkedin.com is a free tool to reveal the hidden networks you're connected to. It offers several benefits:
- Control and promote your own brand as a potential employee by uploading your resume and work samples and soliciting recommendations
- Make connections with professionals, including people you've worked with or for, and join groups like the UO Alumni Association and Lundquist Alumni Network
- Use the site's advanced search to find connections working in industries and companies of interest
Networking
Secrets of Successful Networking
- Learn how to listen: Engage ears not mouth; ask informed questions and have sincere interest in others
- Speak up and get noticed: Volunteer to be on a panel, introduce a speaker, work a registration table
- Build your network: Ask for additional contacts/referrals
Leveraging Your Network
Use your natural circle of contacts to reveal people of influence connected to your career of interest and employment information.
- Increase contact with people in your field of interest through personal and professional referrals and make favorable impressions on key personnel
- Gain insight into organizations, positions, trends, and so forth
- Obtain information and job leads
- Provides you opportunities to practice interacting with professional individuals
- Allows you to learn about opportunities earlier in cycle and provides a competitive advantage
- Answers the initial questions regarding your capability and motivation to do the job, as well as your personality fit with the group
- Highly effective: most positions are filled this way (approximately 65 percent)
Professional Assocations
Make contacts in organizations where you're likely to meet people with information and job leads: professional association meetings, conferences, social gatherings, and so forth
- Increase contact with people in your field of interest through personal and professional referrals and make favorable impressions on key personnel
- Provide direct access to decision makers and leaders in your chosen field
- Can list unpublished jobs
- Informal opportunity to "sell" yourself to your target audience
- Gain valuable information to make you marketable
- Demonstrate your talents through involvement in projects and professional workshops
Networking Action Steps
- Develop list of people you know
- Conduct informational interviews
- Attend professional organizations, community groups, Chamber of Commerce events, alumni events, and so forth
- Keep records of all your interactions with each contact including follow-up reminders
- Brainstorm with others to expand list of contacts
- Let others know you are looking for work (don’t be a "closet" job seeker)
- Talk to people who know many other people (accountants, bankers, professors, clergy)
- Keep contacts/mentors informed of your progress and send thank you notes
- Ask contacts where people meet formally and informally to discuss business
- Meet everyone you can and don't be afraid to introduce yourself as a student
- Volunteer to work at conferences or be on committees
- Get membership directories of professional organizations and get on mailing lists for newsletters
- Participate in training sessions, workshops, and conventions
Additional Resources
- Step 4: Job Search Booklet: Produced by Lundquist College Career Services, this booklet provides in-depth information on networking as part of an overall job search strategy. Additional tips and advice as well as worksheets are included.
- Networking Events: Dozens of networking events--from career fairs to student club activities--bring business professionals and business recruiters to campus throughout the year. Mock networking events with fellow students are also staged. Check the events calendar for upcoming opportunities.