Your Biggest Networking Questions: Answered (with Chrissy Guest!)
On Wednesday, April 5th at 8 PM IC Women in Communication’s general body meeting focused on something that it’s safe to say most college students struggle with: networking.
We were lucky enough to have IC professor and networking-extraordinaire Chrissy Guest speak to us about everything from cover letters to thank you notes, and how everything in between can impact your first impressions on future employers.
Chrissy’s bubbly personality and personal networking anecdotes made her advice not only informational and useful, but entertaining as well. We started the meeting off by rejecting the widespread belief that cover letters are all business. Disclaimer: they should be professional, but personality is more important than we think when it comes to submitting a stellar cover letter. Or, as Chrissy put it, “...personality should be coming out of your pores” in order to make you stand out among a stack of applicants.
The importance of utilizing your personality doesn’t end with cover letters-- it can (and should) be evident in every part of the networking process. Chrissy strongly expressed that you have nothing to lose by making your cover letter funky and untraditional-- the worst thing that can happen is rejection!
Personality also comes into play in other parts of the networking process. Business cards, websites, and even interviews all have aspects that should involve an expression of who you are as a person, all while putting up a professional front as well.
When discussing the interview process, Chrissy expressed the extreme importance of including what may seem like minor details, but can make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. For example, introductory handshakes have the ability to make or break your first impression with a potential employer.
When discussing the interviewing process, we also spent a significant amount of time talking about the importance of researching the employer and job itself before heading to the interview. Having knowledge about the organization you’re applying to will only make you more confident walking into the interview, which is something the interviewer is sure to notice. One of Chrissy’s number one interviewing tips? Pay attention to little details just as much as the big ones.
Your follow up actions post-interview have the ability to be just as important as the interview itself. Nothing ensures that an interviewer will remember you more than a hand-written, personalized thank you note. Chrissy advises us to include specifics that you and the interviewer seemed to connect with, and using personalized stationery if you can because, while an email may get lost in the shuffle, a thank you note will stick around for a while.
These tips and tricks are all essential in regards to making a killer first impression with future employers and professionals in your field of interest. And while the logistics are important to making your way in the networking world, Chrissy expressed that confidence and trusting yourself is just as important as well.
To hear more professional women speak, receive career advice, and more, join IC Women in Communications in Park 285 every Wednesday night at 8 PM!
