PRticles of Interest

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” This phrase has been splashed throughout my life for the past five years. Five years ago I was a junior in high school and really narrowing down my search on where I wanted to go to college. People were asking me what I wanted to do as a career? Where did I see myself after college? It’s a stressful time for a young kid and it makes me relieved to know that it’s over.

One thing I won’t forget about that process is the lessons I learned and continue to learn about networking. Originally, I thought you basically just talked to a lot of people and made good impressions. It sounded pretty easy, but the further I move along in my life, I realize there is much more to it. Networking is about marketing yourself. I like to think of myself as a product being sold. My goal is to be purchased, or in the sense of networking, get a job. In order to do this you need to put yourself out there. Take the opportunity to meet new people despite what you might think is awkward. Attend events that you may not want to go to, but you should because it serves as an opportunity to market yourself. Take on tasks that challenge you, such as internships, leadership camps or competitions. All of these things would be great assets to a resume and can serve as valuable chances to meet successful people.

The difference between selling yourself off the shelves and gathering dust may be a solid network. There’s no better time to build than now.

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