September 2, 2014, by Business School Postgraduate Careers
Staying Connected
By Julie Blant.
As management project and dissertation deadlines now draw closer you could be forgiven for thinking that it is OK to take a break from networking whilst you make that last push towards completion.
Think again. Don’t neglect your network.
Your network should continue to be integral to your career building activities. Let us just be clear here with a reminder that networking is not about asking your contacts for a job. It is about building relationships and making the most of the knowledge and advice that your contacts may be willing to share with you (and vice versa).
Work contacts
Are you still in touch with previous work colleagues? You may not wish to be of course! However if you are planning to return to your previous sector they are in an ideal position to fill you in on the current landscape, perhaps even being able to put you in touch with people that they know. Is it time to drop them a line to let them know that you’re coming to the end of your programme and what your thoughts are about your next career move? What advice can they offer you?
Alumni and LinkedIn
How familiar are you with the ‘Find Alumni’ function offered by LinkedIn? This a fantastic way of finding out which companies Nottingham graduates are working for, what roles they are in and where they are located. This comes in handy if you have questions about working for a particular company or industry for example, or returning to your home country. Again it is a way of tapping into others’ knowledge and seeking their advice. Be prepared though – not everyone will accept your request to connect. Give yourself the best chance by editing the message box when you invite someone to connect. Say how you found them on LinkedIn and provide a brief overview of why you think it is useful to connect.
Staying with the LinkedIn theme, make sure you are connected to relevant interest groups. An obvious one to join if you are not a member already is Nottingham University Business School – Alumni. This group currently has over three thousand members but with over 2 million groups and a worldwide membership of 313 million which is growing daily why limit yourself?! There are other Nottingham University Business School and University groups as well as industry related and company specific groups. Dive in and explore.
Friends and Family
This year you have made new friends, worked with fellow course members on group assignments, sat next to one another in lecture theatres but how well do you really know the people that you have spent the past year with? Do you know what they did before, where they worked, who they know? Often the people who can be the richest sources of information are not that far out of reach. Don’t forget family members too.
Postgraduate Careers Team
We will be staying connected with you through our vacancy e-newsletters and online career progression surveys. Sorry, what was that? You haven’t got time to read emails? …..Good luck with that final push!
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