futur CAREERS AND PLACEMENTS es❵
events and opportunities for continuing development courses. With membership often comes an online portal, enabling you to connect with others more easily. Whether pursuing graduate employment or a change in job, attending careers and recruitment fairs can also be a good way to build links and learn about companies in a face-to-face environment. These unmediated experiences of networking can seem daunting, particularly given that there always seems to be such pressure attached to first impressions, which can be more easily managed and altered on virtual profiles. But if you think of these interactions on an individual level as based on common interests, it would perhaps feel less nerve-wracking.
Networking is fundamentally centred upon meeting new people. The explosion of virtual communities in recent years has resulted in an expansion of the channels in which we can make these connections. Increasingly, we can tailor our communications free of the barriers that used to restrict making links with others. The possibilities that this opens up makes networking an exciting prospect to be utilised to its full potential. You never know where it could take you unless you give it a go. f❵
Top tips from the University’s Careers Advisors 1 Make a plan: think about your interests and goals. 2 Identify your current network, including primary ‘warm’ and secondary contacts. How could you expand this group? 3 Get involved with volunteering, sports or join a professional body. 4 Create a professional profile on a networking site. 5 Be enthusiastic about yourself! Remember that this is a relationship which will be beneficial for the other party too.
Useful resources l Careers blogs, hints and tips:
http://careers.guardian.co.uk/ l Professional bodies and associations
http://www.alljobsuk.com/Unis/PubBodies.shtml l Local volunteering and fundraising activities:
http://www.do-it.org.uk/ l Useful resources including a free guide to exploring your career online:
http://www.mygraduatecareer.com/ l Careers and recruitment fair information:
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ and
http://www.newlifenetwork.co.uk/ l Learn how to create an online profile:
http://learn.linkedin.com/what-is-linkedin/
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