Networking? What is that!?

Welcome to the CSAA Blog! It is great to have outstanding individuals interested like you interested in our program. An important aspect of the student affairs profession is networking. Networking takes place in many different environments, so it is important to be prepared. The tips listed below are just some general suggestions, and should not be considered the penultimate list of professional networking tips. These all came from my personal observations and through conversations with colleagues.

• First and foremost, try not to think of networking as networking. Think of it as getting to know a potential colleague. It is painfully obvious to everyone when someone tries to network to satisfy some personal agenda.

• Second, act as natural as possible! This will make establishing a relationship much easier. In the wise words of my roommate, “if you’re goofy, be goofy. If you’re not, then now is not the time to try,” (Brugman, 2015).

• Third, have introductory details about yourself prepared. Having a quick list of information that you can cover concisely will make the beginning of the conversation go much smoother.

• Finally, remember the person’s name. If this is a problem for you (as it is for me), try to intentionally use the person’s name a few times in the beginning of the conversation. Having a strategy to help you remember the person’s name will make the interaction that much more productive.

Hopefully this helps! Again, these are just some suggestions. It is important for you to find out what works for you in terms of networking. Finding what works for you will make networking far less awkward than it can be.

-Bryce

Bryce is a first-year student in the College Student Affairs Administration, M.Ed. program who hails from Woodstock, IL. His graduate assistantship is with Student Activities & Organizations working with WUOG 90.5 FM, the student-run radio station at UGA. Bryce graduated from Southern Illinois University in May of 2014 where he majored in psychology and sociology, and is primarily interested in working in international education. In his free time, he enjoys attending concerts, watching sports, and eating copious amounts of food.