Three Ways to Shine at Your Next Networking Event

Posted on Tuesday, April 25th, 2017

Have you heard the expression “it’s who you know” in reference to job hunting before? For many, this can be a discouraging phrase. What if you don’t know anyone in your industry? What if you’re just starting out? How are you supposed to ‘know’ people who can help you get a job?

The answer, of course, is to network.

Networking has a stereotype of being intimidating, especially as a student just getting started on your career. But the truth is that it is the best way of getting your name out there and making some great connections. Here are three great ways to shine at your next networking event.

Don’t Forget to Brand Yourself

Our Complete Guide to Branding Yourself is an excellent place to start if you want to get serious about networking. It will walk you through all the steps to building a professional reputation for yourself. It will also help you find some things to talk about at your next networking opportunity.

Branding will help you identify what your strengths are and how you can communicate them. It will also help you set up a visual identity for yourself, making your name and reputation all the more recognizable to contacts at networking events.

Create Your Elevator Pitch

Once you have your strengths figured out, you can come up with your elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a quick introduction of yourself that explains who you are, what you do, and why you’re awesome. You don’t want it to come across as too sales-y but make no mistake: you’re pitching yourself.

Coming up with your elevator pitch is an important part of your brand toolkit, and is a great way to answer the dreaded interview question, so tell me about yourself. It’s also a great way to introduce yourself during a networking event.

Basically, you want to share the following:

  • Your name
  • Your program
  • Your school
  • The career you’re interested in
  • Your work experience (or co-op!)
  • Your skills

Your pitch should be 30 to 60 seconds. It pays to rehearse and get super comfortable with it, so that you’re totally ready next time someone asks, “So, what do you do?”.

Business Cards

Yes, you need business cards. Yes, even if you’re a student.

Business cards are still the way of trading contact information. If you’re a student at Algonquin College, you’re in luck: the Print Shop will print you some for a super reasonable price. You can even order online.

If you want to go an extra step, design your business cards to match your visual identity.

Carry these with you everywhere! You never know when you’re going to meet someone who you can add to your network.

Do Some Research

Now you’re ready to confidently start networking!

Your Current Network

Your first step is to look into what your pre-existing network already is. Start with family and friends. Reach out to people who may be able to help you out or pass your name on to someone.

Then, take a look at your school. Talk to your teachers—they usually have awesome networks and can get your name around (yet another reason why it’s important to go to class). If you’re an Algonquin College co-op student, you can connect with your consultant to talk about building your network.

Networking Events

Next, check out what kind of networking events are happening in your area. Eventbrite is awesome for this. Type ‘networking’ in the search bar and dozens of events pop up. Try searching your industry name or dream job—you’ll be surprised by how many events are happening in the city, just for you.

The Algonquin College Employment Support Centre is also an awesome resource. They host all kinds of job fairs and networking events throughout the year that you can attend to work on your network.

Network Like A Pro

There’s no way around it: your first few networking events are going to be awkward. But you’re now more than ready to enter the fray.

Before you go to your first event, think of some questions you could ask professionals in your field. Here are some possibilities:

  • What is an average day at work for you?
  • What do you wish you had known before working in this field?
  • What kind of experience would you recommend I have before starting in this field?
  • How did you decide to enter this field?

Remember, most industry professionals want to help you. They want to like you. Asking thoughtful questions helps establish your name and reputation as a go-getter. You may even get to hand out some business cards.

Stay in Touch

After your event, be sure to stay in touch with your new contacts! LinkedIn is awesome, and a great way to keep up with where your contacts are. When you connect with someone, be sure to include a note about where you met and why you’d like to connect. This is also super helpful, because if you keep your LinkedIn updated, your name will stay at the front of their mind.

Networking requires upkeep. You won’t build a network or land your dream job through just one event. But by sticking with it and getting your name out there, you’ll grow your network and start building a name for yourself.

Are you interested in taking a co-op course at Algonquin College? Are you an employer looking to hire an Algonquin co-op student? Get in touch with us! Visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623.


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