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Home>Australia>Students>Career Services>Networking Tips

Networking Tips

What are you trying to achieve at this networking event?

You are trying to find out information about the organisation and whether it may be a good fit for you, determine possibilities for future job applications, build rapport and promote your expertise. A good out come is an opportunity to forward your resume (or tell them it is on the CD), provide your business card and receive their business card (having said that I will have all their details and you do not have to get a business card).

How to build rapport

• Be genuinely interested in the person and the organisation
• Listen carefully to the person you are speaking to
• Smile and make eye contact (although don’t be too intense)
• Do not interrupt the person, let them speak
• Look after them, offer them a drink or food as it comes around, introduce them to someone else, make them feel special.

Be Prepared

Be prepared to talk about the University, the program and yourself (including your work history and projects you have been involved in or completed). You are an ambassador not just for yourself but for the University and the program you are studying.

Examples of how to start the conversation

Introduce your self – “Hi my name is John I am a Full-time Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management Student” hopefully, the person will then introduce themselves.

What next? Having done your research on the organisation ask them a question about their role in the organisation or what their organisation does.

• “Does have a big profile in Adelaide?”
• “How is the project going?”
• “What is your role at ”
• “Tell me about your role at ”
• “Have you been with long”

Make sure you listen carefully to what they have to say, look for opportunities to keep the conversation going and to tell them a little bit about your self.

What to talk about if the conversation dries up and you want to keep the conversation growing.

• “Do you know much about Carnegie Mellon University?”
• “Do you know much about the MSIT/MSPPM program?”
• “What interested you about coming here tonight?”
• “I have only been in Adelaide since January, what do you recommend I do or see”
• You do not have to talk all business, feel free to get into a conversation about common interests

How to finish

The easiest way to finish is to thank them for their time, offer your Business Card if you feel it is appropriate and then offer to introduce them to someone else. By introducing the person you are speaking with to someone else, you are ensuring that the conversation ends at an appropriate interval, makes the person feel looked after and allows someone else the opportunity to speak with them.

Follow up

As part of your conversation you may have offered to do something. You should do this the next day.

Final Tips

Relax, keep calm and enjoy the conversation. These people have chosen to come to this event to meet with you. Don’t be pushy, let the conversation flow and listen , this is your first meeting with this person, other conversations will follow.