As part of our College Success Program, Bottom Line spends a lot of time helping students find job and internship opportunities that will help prepare them for their careers. Here’s some advice that we recently gave our college students – a good reminder for any professional who is starting a new job!
Joining a new company offers an opportunity to build connections that may benefit your career in the future. Here’s 5 easy steps you can take to build your professional network.
1) Act friendly. Put a smile on your face and say hello to other employees in your department and building.
2) Ask questions. Start a conversation with a co-worker by asking about him/her. “How long have you worked here?” is a great starter question.
3) Develop conversations. Once you establish yourself as a friendly, articulate person, you’re ready to keep a two-way conversation going. Try to join different groups for lunch, but always ask first before simply sitting down.
4) Network with new friends. After you’ve found a few people in your department whom you enjoy, continue to develop those friendships and professional relationships. Each new friend could lead to another acquaintance, and then another. Before you know it, you will have built a network.
5) Set networking goals. Keep a list of people whom you meet at your internship, including their job titles and departments. Try to add to that list every day.
For more career advice, check out the Employability page of Bottom Line’s website.
Victoria Sargent
Career Coordinator