Team Networking
by Bob Roth Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of three books: College Success: Advice For Parents Of High School And College Students 03/10, The College Student's Guide To Landing A Great Job -and- The 4 Realities Of Success During and After College. Known as The "College & Career Success” Coach, Bob also writes articles for more than 225 College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. He has been interviewed on numerous radio programs across the country and also by many newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal. Bob has also served as an Adjunct at Marist College, teaching a course in Career Development.
Full Bio
Most college students will learn to network in order to gather employment information and learn about companies that may be hiring. Savvy students understand that their personal networks contain people who have the information they are seeking. Therefore, to learn about employment opportunities that have never been advertised or made available the outside world, students should systematically contact everyone in their networks.
Team networking is a concept that few college students have heard about. And yet, it is a practical and effective way to identify more employment opportunities. When two or more students tap their individual networks and then share the information and job leads with team members, each member of the networking team will benefit.
Team networking requires four things:
- Team members who seek similar jobs or jobs in the same field
- Team members who have similar education and experience levels
- Team members who diligently contact the people in their networks
- Team members who share everything they learn (information and job leads)
When groups of students work together and openly share information and job leads, they can cover more ground faster and learn about many more employment possibilities. It means that each member of the team may learn about many more jobs than they could possibly find on their own. That significant difference can prevent months of frustration and disappointment.
To help the team work well together, a few rules should be agreed upon before they get started:
- What will they do if someone does not contribute?
- What will happen if they find that someone is withholding information?
- What will happen when every team member has a job except one person?
- Should other members be added as students find jobs?
We all know that teams can do more than any individual. We also know that finding a good job is not easy. Therefore, wise students who are looking for ways to increase their chances for job hunting success should turn to team networking. It is a simple approach that can pay off big for everyone on the team and should be used more often by college students.
College is the perfect place for team networking, since every college produces groups of students who have taken the same classes and have the same majors. Natural groups can easily be formed by students who major in Accounting, Chemistry, Computer Science and many others.
Individual students who form a team, effectively tap their networks and work together throughout the senior year are bound to learn about employment opportunities that would have remained unknown to them. Therefore, the time for college seniors to form a networking team is now. Why not get started today?
Team networking is a concept that few college students have heard about. And yet, it is a practical and effective way to identify more employment opportunities. When two or more students tap their individual networks and then share the information and job leads with team members, each member of the networking team will benefit.
Team networking requires four things:
- Team members who seek similar jobs or jobs in the same field
- Team members who have similar education and experience levels
- Team members who diligently contact the people in their networks
- Team members who share everything they learn (information and job leads)
When groups of students work together and openly share information and job leads, they can cover more ground faster and learn about many more employment possibilities. It means that each member of the team may learn about many more jobs than they could possibly find on their own. That significant difference can prevent months of frustration and disappointment.
To help the team work well together, a few rules should be agreed upon before they get started:
- What will they do if someone does not contribute?
- What will happen if they find that someone is withholding information?
- What will happen when every team member has a job except one person?
- Should other members be added as students find jobs?
We all know that teams can do more than any individual. We also know that finding a good job is not easy. Therefore, wise students who are looking for ways to increase their chances for job hunting success should turn to team networking. It is a simple approach that can pay off big for everyone on the team and should be used more often by college students.
College is the perfect place for team networking, since every college produces groups of students who have taken the same classes and have the same majors. Natural groups can easily be formed by students who major in Accounting, Chemistry, Computer Science and many others.
Individual students who form a team, effectively tap their networks and work together throughout the senior year are bound to learn about employment opportunities that would have remained unknown to them. Therefore, the time for college seniors to form a networking team is now. Why not get started today?