Honing 'elevator pitch' is key
Networking is like that 1990s game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,’’ in which every actor in the universe has at least some remote connection to the star of “Footloose.”
For expert networkers, the same principle applies: indirect, seemingly random, links can result in a job lead – or at least some great career advice.
At Rutgers annual Alumni-Student Career Speed Networking Night, held earlier this month, about 150 students rotated through a series of mini-meetings with alums, gaining a chance to boost their interview skills and make some unexpected connections.
“Students might think, ‘Why do I want to talk to a chiropractor? I’m interested in accounting,’’ says Janet Jones, interim director of Rutgers-New Brunswick Career Services , which runs the event. “But if you’re really good at networking, you know that the chiropractor probably has an accountant, or his wife may be an accountant, and if you’re an accounting major, that’s a good thing to know.’’
The speed networking event, held since 2005 and sponsored by the Rutgers Alumni Association, has resulted in internships and jobs, but that’s not the point, Jones says.
“We try to get students to think about potential connections, to offer information that may be useful, so it’s a conversation and an exchange of information; it’s not just about ‘I’m the job seeker and you’re the employer,’’ Jones explains.
The event is now one of the largest of its kind and has served as a model for other schools, says Jones. “It’s wildly popular.’’
Students have a chance to network within their fields of interest, but the first half of the night requires working the room. For many, speed networking is a chance to debut their “elevator pitch,” a brief summary of their skills and ambitions.
Jones and her staff offer guidance, and Jerry Masin, co-chair of the Rutgers Alumni Association Undergraduate Committee, also offers pointers.
"The first thing you have to be able to do very quickly is form a value proposition,’’ says Masin, president of CompasScale LLC, a Morris County based management and investment consultancy business. “Don’t just go through a litany of things you’ve done. Emphasize your student experience, whether it’s leadership or academics. Make eye contact, make sure you come prepared and ready to say, “I can do this for you for these reasons and, because of that, I can help your organization.’’’
At the event, more than 100 networking alums offer critiques of student pitches, dispensing tips on what could be improved and offering some abbreviated career counseling.
“The alumni get a chance to give back and have their own networking opportunities,’’ says Masin, who graduated from Rutgers in 1980 with a double major in communications and English, and helps organize the event.
Graduate Yasmeen Fahmy, of Hightstown, didn’t land a job at last year’s event, but it helped prepare her for interviews, she says. “It definitely forces you think on your feet. It really challenges you to identify your strengths and weaknesses.’’
Fahmy, a double major in geography and economics, now works as a program assistant at Rutgers’ Institute for Women's Leadership, a job that resulted, in part, from her involvement with another university networking organization: WINGS, a career mentoring program run by the Center for Women and Work that links female Rutgers students with professional women.
At last year’s speed networking event, Ariel Lopez, a third-year marketing and economic student, met alums who asked him to pass along his resume and expressed interest in hiring him. He ruled out some jobs because they were too far away. “But I learned that you can get a lot of connections by networking,’’ he says.
Graduate Kerry Williams, who interned with Career Services and helped plan past speed networking events, landed a job at Masin’s company as marketing, sales and career service coordinator. That eventually led to her present slot as a marketing coordinator at the School of Audio Engineering Institute in Manhattan, says Williams, who had always dreamed of working in New York.
In such a tough economy, students need to take advantage of every career building opportunity they can find, she says. And they shouldn’t be shy about touting their achievements.
“You have to sell yourself,’’ says Williams, who graduated from the School of Arts and Sciences in 2010. “Everything you do to help your professional development is one step closer to a job.’’