Networking

By Audrey Treece

My friend made a comment to me this weekend that I had over eight hundred friends on my Facebook account. She then followed up with, “do you really know all of those people, or do you just friend anyone and everyone that asks?” I, in return, took a look and started deciphering how I actually do know these people that are my so called “friends.”

Okay, so honestly, no, I do not talk to every single person that I associate as my “friend.” However, after looking through the list, I concluded that I could make a connection with every person even if I do not talk to them every day. I attempted to begin deleting some people off of my “friend” list, but I kept justifying their friendship by what my future could hold.

I believe that any job worth having will not be advertised. Of course, however, once you get in the door somewhere you are going to have to prove yourself, but in order to get in the door it is all about who you know. Networking is the most valuable tool there is to assist in job hunts and with today’s technology, networks and relationships are extremely easy to maintain.

If you ask ten people how they got their job recently, I am almost certain that the majority of them will tell you that they got it through networking. Our school’s Career Services program offers some valuable information on networking and I highly suggest everyone should take a look and some notes…http://careerservices.siuc.edu/students/jobsearch/networking.htm.