Friday, September 24, 2010

Start Networking Before You Graduate

In today’s highly competitive scenario, academics alone do not ensure good career opportunities for a candidate. To find the best opportunity, one must adopt a professional approach that works well in today’s job market. Professional networking is the best and the most effective means available today to achieve this.  

Professional networking is all about building and maintaining prospective relations in one’s field of interest. According to HR experts, networking should start right when a person enters the graduate level. It’s when the candidate decides the line of his/her future career.

Here are a few steps that can be adopted by students to build their social and career networks.

·  Build As Many Friends As You Can in Your Class
You and your classmates have several things in common, the most important of them being that all of you share a common career goal. While involving in your regular projects or other class activities, try to build good rapport with your classmates. This acquaintance will be mutually beneficial when you start looking for jobs. Friends are the best source for information on job listing. Good friends also support you in preparing for the interviews and tests.
·  Get Blessings and Connections from Professors
Getting a blessing from a Guru (teacher) is especially important in today’s competitive world. Try to be more close to your professors so that they would develop interest in helping you find a suitable career. Professors are the best source of information on a variety of career choices available today. They are also the best career guides for you because they have analyzed, evaluated and understood your strengths and weaknesses.
·  Join Internship Programs
Internship programs are the best way to get a first-hand experience on the job you dream of. These programs boost your confidence level and prepare you to face any challenges you may confront when you start your job hunt. Through internships, you also build good connections. Most universities offer internship programs, and many interns are appointed in leading firms immediately after they complete their internships. 
·  Be a Member of Professional Organizations
Today’s jobs demand a lot more than academics. The society recognizes the one who stands out in the crowd. For this, you need to be a little extrovert, communicative, optimistic and confident. By joining a number of professional organizations or an extra-curricular club in the campus, you can let others know what capabilities you have beyond academics. By joining professional organizations especially, you get an opportunity to connect with the industry leaders and expose your talents to them.
·  Attend Job Fairs and Networking Events
Job Fairs are essentially the easiest way to reach out to recruiters. Don’t miss any opportunity that comes to your campus or anywhere else in the form of a job fair or a professional networking event.
·  Join Professional Networking Sites
There are a number of job portals that also offer professional networking services. They help you to get connected with prospective employers and submit your candidature to them directly without any third-party intervention. This interaction is highly effective as it gives recruiters an opportunity to learn more about the candidate before the final selection is made. Koozba.com, India’s 1stvideo resume job portal for fresh graduates, offers an excellent career network to young graduates and undergraduates to connect with prospective recruiters and get the best share of the jobs available in the market. 

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