1. Networking: The Key to Your Professional Success
Ann Blasick
Assistant Director
Division of Professional Practice
Georgia Institute of Technology
March 7, 2009

2. What is Networking?

3. What is Networking?
The process of discovering and utilizing connections between people. Networks stem from friendships or business relationships. Everyone knows other people, and thus has a network. But "networking" implies movement beyond one's immediate network and involves tapping into other people's networks.

4. What Networking Isn’t
Networking isn't a process of making cold-calls to people you don't know. It's talking to people you do know to ask them to introduce you to others. It’s introducing yourself to new people and letting them know what type of job you’re looking for.
Luke
Chris
Julia

5. Expanding Your Network
Teacher
Coach
Friend

6. Why is Networking Effective?
Consistently cited as #1 way to get a job
The more people you meet, the more opportunities you’ll find
Many jobs never get advertised
People hire who they know and trust
CareerXRoad's 2007 Annual Sources of Hire Survey: 34% of new hires brought in from outside an organization were due to employee referrals

7. Ways to Network Attending conferences like this one!
Family, friends, neighbors, classmates
Professional groups (IEEE, SWE, NSBE)
Fraternities and sororities
Social clubs or religious groups
Strike up conversation in the doctor’s office, gym, student center, at a baseball game, etc
Talk to professors after class or during office hours
Talk to advisors or grad students
Alumni directories
Networking websites such as

8. Networking with Alumni
GT Alumni Directory
Tiffany Norman at
GT Alumni Association LinkedIn Group
To join, visit gtalumni.org/pages/career
GT Alumni Associations Mentor Jackets
Jane Stoner at

9. Networking Tips Know your goal Prepare 30 second introduction
Who are you? What can you offer?
Business cards: the currency of networking
Always offer to reciprocate assistance
Keep tracking spreadsheet
A note on professional happy hours

10. Networking Steps Email or call the person.
Be concise. Identify yourself, identify how you obtained their contact info, and state why you are contacting this person
List an action item. This may an inquiry about internship opportunities, an inroads for a job you’ve applied to, or a request for an informational interview.
Request a follow-up to this , via phone or . Give your contact the choice of how to continue.

11. Informational Interviews
Talking with people in fields you are considering to gain understanding of an occupation or industry and to build your network.
Leave meeting time and place up to person in the field
Bring questions
Keep to about 30 minutes
Ask if there’s anyone else they’d recommend you talk to
Don’t ask for a job
Send thank-you note or

12. Professional Networking Sites – Do’s and Don’ts

13. LinkedIn Professional version of Facebook
Over 35 million users from industries and 200+ countries
Connects you to your connection’s connections
Let’s you see who knows who!
According to comScore, U.S. visitors shot up 22% to 7.7 million from Dec 2008 to Jan 2009.

14. LinkedIn Professional Networking with LinkedIn My LinkedIn Page
Your Connections: 327
Two degrees away: 35,300+
Three degrees away: 2,583,400+
Total Users I can contact through an Introduction: 2,619,000+

15. Resources
etworking/whatis.html
nterviewing.html

16. My Contact Info
Another person for your network!
Ann Blasick