![]() This is a crucial part of the way I do things, though. Ask about their kids, how they like working for the university, et cetera. If it’s appropriate given the context and your familiarity with one another, as them about their life. They weren’t put on this earth to be your professor. According to a 2015 study, about 1 in 40 scholars use Twitter and that number is probably growing. Tell them if you’re looking for a job or if you’re moving to a city they might have some valuable words of advice for you.Ī less direct way to keep your name fresh: follow them on Twitter. You can use that same email to briefly fill them in on what’s up in your life. It’ll show that you 1) remember what they’re about, and 2) continue to stay engaged in the topic. For example, forward a news article that is relevant to their course topic or research. To keep your name in their mind, send relevant emails every so often. ![]() That means you have mere months to make a lasting impression, a tall order given that people can only remember about 150 people at a time and they will have another cohort in front of them the next semester. Keep your name fresh in their mind.Ĭhances are, you’ll have each professor only once. No matter the size of the class, this effort will be noticed and appreciated. Sit in the front row, attend every class, participate thoughtfully as often as possible, and show up to their office hours. Whatever the size or format of the course, get face time with the instructor as often as possible. In large lectures, the professor may never see your face unless you make an effort to put it right in front of them. In seminars, your professor will learn your name in the first week. Build the foundation.Ĭollege courses vary. Once you figured out which professors are important to keep in touch with, then… 2. If you reach out years later for a letter of recommendation or advice, they’ll be much less willing to help if they don’t know who the heck you are. The reason you should not hesitate is that there is no graceful way to make a close connection to a professor after you have already graduated. The “right ones” should be easy to pinpoint (that’s why they’re the “right ones”.) More than that, focus on the professors who are easy to talk to. Consider some professors you look up to focus in on the ones who are intimately in touch with the field you want to break into. Start thinking about this right away if you haven’t already. Professors are the key.Ħ Steps To Stay in Touch with Your Professors: 1. Naturally, many of those connections were borne out of my undergrad years and subsequent education. While I’m not skilled at creating new connections out of thin air (nor do I think it’s the best way to network), I have learned to nurture the connections I already have. Even Beyoncé had some help along the way. On the road to your dream job, you will need to rely on others’ advice, recommendations, connections, and goodwill. The truth of “getting ahead” in the world, though, is that it does usually require other people’s help. Being kind with an ulterior motive doesn’t feel like being kind at all. It’s the same reason I can’t be a salesperson for a living. Ingenuine interactions (of the “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” variety) make me deeply uncomfortable. That’s the type of networking that does not work for me – I’m shy, I’m awkward, and schmoozing of any kind makes me cringe. Maybe you’re like me and, when you hear the word “networking,” you picture giant conferences full of thousands of name-tagged, sharply-dressed people with stacks of business cards ready to fling around the room. You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: networking is freaking important. ![]() ![]() You’ll leave with a Rolodex of people (a.k.a., Gmail contacts) who will help you on your journey to your “dream job” or “success,” whatever those words mean to you. However, if you make the most of your college years, you’ll be leaving with a lot more than a piece of paper and a set of skills to fill out your nascent resume. If you’re focused on only tangibles, I guess that’s kinda true. People often refer to a university degree as an exorbitantly-priced, glorified piece of paper.
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