The students guide to networking

The very word networking can cause anxiety for even experienced professionals, so it can be particularly daunting for students. You might have a couple of internships under your belt but you probably don’t yet have have business cards to hand out and aren’t really sure what etiquette is expected at a networking event. Whether you are looking to find out more about upcoming internship opportunities with an NGO, secure an informational interview with a potential employer, or make sure you stand out among other applicants, connecting with the right people can be key to launching your global development career. If you are a student or novice to the networking scene, here are a few things you can do to make the experience a little less stressful. 1. Connect in person. Connecting with someone in person as opposed to online makes a huge difference. While sites such as Devex and Linkedin are a great way for you to find out about an organization and its staff, the power of meeting and talking with someone face-to-face should not be underestimated. Opportunities for networking come in all forms — so don’t only look out for big industry conferences and social events, which can be overwhelming as your break in. Also look out for study fairs, guest speakers at your university, volunteering opportunities and meet up groups to ease your way in. 2. Preparation is key. Do your research and find out about the organizations that might be attending an event. If you are interested in an internship or job with a particular organization, you should be familiar with their work before you go. Know which sectors they focus on and which donors they work with, and try to demonstrate how your skills, interests and experience would be a good fit for them. You can look up profiles on thousands of international, national and local development organizations on Devex. READ: Do your homework before networking 3. Be ready with your elevator pitch. This is your chance to tell a potential employer a little about your background, education, experience and ambitions. Since you may not have much professional work experience yet, you can mention your internships, study exchanges, or any particularly interesting classes you are taking. Don’t come off as too canned, however. Try to work this organically into the conversation, perhaps by first asking them some insightful questions about their work or mentioning a relevant event or news story. It can also depend on the situation. If, for example, you are at a career fair, recruiters are there with the explicit purpose to meet potential candidates. So you can be more direct about your career aspirations. If, however, you are interested in a particular job and find yourself chatting with someone who works with that organization, you should be prepared to sum up in no more than 30 seconds why you are a strong candidate. Use your judgement and read the situation: Be cautious not to take up too much of anyone’s time, but if they seem engaged and interested in you, keep talking. READ: Craft your elevator pitch: The simple 3-step formula 4. Listen and engage. Don’t become so occupied with hunting down that one CEO and perfectly delivering your 30 second elevator pitch that you forget to actually listen and engage with the other people you meet. Networking can be a chance to meet interesting and well-informed professionals who share your passion — so listen and learn from them. Don’t dismiss someone just because they aren’t in charge of hiring or don’t have a job going right now that you are interested in. You never know when or where an opportunity can present itself. 5. Ask for their cards. As a student you are not expected to have a business card quite yet, so ask other people for their cards. This is helpful for remembering names and job titles if you are meeting a lot of people at one event, but it also means it won’t come as a surprise to that person when you get in touch with them later. Write a note on the back of their card to help you remember where you met or anything notable about your conversation. You can then easily reference this when you get in touch later. 6. Social media. Connect online with any potential employers you spoke with, or organizations and people of interest you came across. While you shouldn’t immediately bombard them with messages asking for a job, you can drop them a message mentioning how much you enjoyed meeting them the other day and thank them for their time. Many organizations also use social media to post news updates, upcoming events and job vacancies, so it is great way for you to stay informed and engaged. 7. Take copies of your CV. If you are going to a career fair and meeting specifically with recruiters, make sure you have copies of your CV with you. Recruiters might even ask you for this as they often like to look at these and take notes while talking to you. They might have their hands full and prefer you to send an electronic copy, so make sure you get their contact details if this is the case. Networking does get easier with practice, so don’t be discouraged if your first attempt doesn’t go as smoothly as you had hoped. Working on your public speaking skills can also help, and as with any job interview, you should appear interested, confident and professional. For more tips on networking, CV writing and landing your dream job in the global development sector, sign up for a Devex career account.