You got good grades, revised your resume until you got it right, and went tirelessly to your the career center until you finessed your interview skills. There’s just one thing missing from making you a well-rounded job candidate: proper networking.
Networking can help get your unnoticed resume at the bottom of the stack moved up to the top of the heap. Check out these five tips from Pierre Drescher, Founder, The Creative Loft.
1. Utilize your college alumni network.
Reaching out to those within your college alum network can help give you guidance and advice on how they got where they are – and how you can, too.
2. Join Meetup groups for creative industries.
Whether you’re in the fashion industry or are an art major, join Meetup.com to connect with others with similar interests as you.
3. Always have business cards on hand.
Even if you don’t have a job, investing in business cards shows potential employers just how serious you are about finding one.
4. Made a connection? Ask them out to coffee.
They may not be able to get you a job but at least they can give you some good tips on the industry and how to break into it.
5. Take advantage of social media.
Every time you meet someone, send out a LinkedIn invite shortly after, along with a personalized message.
Networking can be stressful, but done correctly you can come out on top more informed about your industry, with a better idea of what your next career move will be and in the best cases, with a job.
About Pierre Drescher, Founder, The Creative Loft
Drescher is an entrepreneurial minded professional with broad international experience and strong technical abilities. A native French and English speaker, he’s experienced in web development, SEO, product design, and project management. He is co-founder of The Creative Loft, an online employment solution targeting niche creative industries including graphic designers.
