The student led, student read news organization at Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne Media Group

The student led, student read news organization at Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne Media Group

The student led, student read news organization at Georgia Southern University

The George-Anne Media Group

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Career Corner: Networking

Glenn Gibney, Director of Career Services

A few weeks back, my college sophomore daughter asked me how to get a summer internship. She wanted to work for a large public policy organization in Washington D.C.  My answer? Connections!

That may not sound like the typical response from a career service professional, yet a report from ABC news found that 80 percent of all jobs are found through some type of networking activity.  I can validate that through personal experience.

Of the six companies that I worked for over a 30 year business career, five of them came through personal contacts — people I had met and remained in contact with over the years. The truth is that it is unlikely that you will find your first job (and the next job) by simply applying online.  It takes work to find work.  

But how can a college student build a network of contacts?  The answer:  you’re already doing it!

Networking is simply formalizing and building upon the professional relationships that you have in place today.  Building a professional network means:

  • Meeting one-on-one with past teachers or managers (from summer jobs)
  • Attending professional association meetings
  • Getting business cards from employers at career fairs when you are a freshman or sophomore and contacting them 1-2 times per year
  • Asking your parents if they have friends who work at companies and organizations that interest you and meeting with them for coffee
  • Volunteering, and meeting new people every day.  

Professional networking is organizing these connections and maintaining contact with them by updating them regularly on your progress at Armstrong and your growing/changing interests.  

LinkedIn, with more than 450 million professionals online, is the most powerful networking tool available today to help organize your personal network.  LinkedIn allows members to contact past and current colleagues, look for a new job, uncover new business opportunities and network with experts within a particular industry.  

Our Career Services office provides regularly scheduled workshops on how to build your LinkedIn profile to start building your online network today.

And about that conversation with my daughter?  It turns out that she went to summer camp with the CEO of that D.C.-based public policy firm.  She texted her friend if she would give her CEO father her resume.

We’re bringing her to D.C. this May.  It turns out she’s got a pretty good network already.

 

Internship Highlights!

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is Georgia’s amazing underwater park.  As part of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, GRNMS protects a vibrant hard-bottom area off the Georgia coast. Their office at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah has two immediate summer internship available:

  • Multimedia Internship: an opportunity to develop compelling photo and video products used for public outreach
  • Policy Internship: an opportunity to engage in projects related to marine policy and the protection of ocean resources

Information about both internships can be found on collegecentral.com/armstrong,  by contacting Chris Hines at chris.hines@noaa.gov, or contacting us at Career Services at MCC 101.

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