5 Tips for Effective Networking*
When attending a Career Fair or unstructured networking event, do you move toward people you know or those you do not know?
These 5 tips for structured and unstructured gatherings will aid you to overcome feeling uncomfortable or shy:
1. Rather than engaging with people you know, introduce yourself to new individuals.
2. Single out one person or three individuals to talk to since two people may be in a private conversation.
3. Rather than telling people about yourself, ask questions.
To be interesting you have to be sincerely interested in them and people will remember you.
4. As you prepare to leave a group, extend your hand and echo something that you heard during the conversation.
Example: “Jennifer it was nice meeting and talking with you, I hope everything goes well with your move to California.”
5. Follow-up by sending an e-note to people with whom you have spent at least 15-minutes. This gesture will demonstrate your interest in having spent time with them.
Test out these tips out at our next Career Fair in Manhattan on April 10th and again at our Micro Career Fair at the Bronx campus on April 17th.
Still uncertain, need assistance don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Best regards,
Marguerite Busetti, mbusetti@mercy.edu, 718-678-8808
*Courtesy of Anne Marie Sabath, Founder, At Ease Inc.
