Most recent graduates are familiar with the concept of social networking. Sites like Facebook and MySpace have been around for the last several years, and sites like LinkedIn and BrightFuse make a logical leap for users from social networking to professional networking.
We recently talked about alumni associations as one possible alternate resource. But building and sustaining relationships in your network should not be limited to the professors you learned from, or fellow students with whom you collaborated.
Many graduates overlook the people they knew when they were younger. They assume those relationships are only personal ones that have no weight in a professional context. And students may be uncomfortable about interacting with these familiar faces on a professional level.
But there are some compelling reasons to have that personal history and your current professional status intersect.
In many cases, your career choice may have been influenced by an adult other than your parents. Among the most likely role models:
- Former teachers
- Youth group leader
- Church leaders
- Community leaders
- Coaches
If you have developed a close relationship with one of these mentors, consider including them in your networking efforts.
A youth group leader, like a scoutmaster, might have a number of connections. Teachers, coaches and church leaders all have contacts within very specific networks (schools and the church) that include a wide array of people. Community leaders, particularly political figures who serve the city, county or school board, have a huge network of people to draw from.
You may also want to consider some of your high school classmates. Not all classmates are created equal, and some classmates might be a liability to your network, especially if their Facebook profile picture shows them intoxicated or passed out.
But you may want to think back to high school and some of the projects (yearbook, student government) you worked on, or sports activities you participated in.
Take a look around the Web and see if any of those people turn up on social networking sites. They may not be familiar with your recent academic career, but they might also have positive things to say about your teamwork, your approach to problems or your solution to an issue from those high school days.
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