According to LinkedIn worldwide results, “Almost 80 percent of professionals consider professional networking to be important to career success. 70 percent of people in 2016 were hired at a company where they had a connection” (LinkedIn). As college students and future young professionals, it is important to develop that network now and expand your sphere of influence. Graduation is a stressful time in a college student’s life because the job search becomes much more of a reality. There are several strategies a college student and other individuals can use to find careers in an ever-changing workplace.

The Hidden Job Market

Many companies make it difficult for possible candidates to find certain jobs because they want the most qualified candidates possible. This is referred to as the “hidden job market.” So, how does one begin to make themselves known in an unknown market? This is when networking comes into play. Think of a time where you had a friend that worked for a company and because of that contact, they passed along your name to their manager and you got an interview. Many times, these referrals and person-to-person contacts are what gets you a job! People tend to trust recommendations from those they already know.

Build a Personal Network

College students have an enormous network available to them every single day. Between professors, college career centers, friends, family, and social media, students can create a vast amount of references and contacts. At Indiana Wesleyan, students have the opportunity to connect with the Life Calling and Career Center. The Career Center employees can help connect IWU students with IWU alumni, many of which have careers at Fortune 500 companies. Make a list of all these contacts, then start contacting them in person or online. During my sophomore year, I was able to find a connection through my business professor on a class assignment. I interviewed the vice president at a bank and after the meeting, she asked if I was interested in doing an internship there. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there and network with as many individuals as possible.

Use Social Media

Did you know in a poll of 1,855 recruiting and staffing professionals, 95 percent explained that LinkedIn was typically used as a tool to find the best candidates? LinkedIn provides students, young professionals, and many others with the ability to market themselves using résumés, completed projects, and showcase their skills and talents to prospective employers. Maintaining an active profile on LinkedIn will increase the likelihood of having a conversation or interview from an employer active on LinkedIn.

If you would like help in coming up with a plan and/or strategies on relationship building and networking as well as help creating a mock budget for said job after graduation, set up a meeting with the NEXUS Financial Discipleship Center with this link: https://ronblueinstitute.com/schedule-an-appointment/.

References

“Ch. 13/Prospecting For Jobs on Social Media.” Essentials of Business Communication, by Mary Ellen Guffey and Dana Loewy, Cengage Learning, Inc., 2019.

LinkedIn Corporate. “Eighty-Percent of Professionals Consider Networking Important to Career Success.” LinkedIn Newsroom, LinkedIn Corporation, June 2017, news.linkedin.com/2017/6/eighty-percent-of-professionals-consider-networking-important-to-career-success. 

Raacke, Jennifer, et al. “Should I Be Networking? Exploring the Importance of Networking for Students.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Jan. 2017, www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psn/2017/01/importance-networking. 

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