Clever Ways for College Students to Develop Their Networks among Peers

As college students, most of us are accustomed to meeting new people each semester. With a few exceptions, college students usually end up spending each semester with a mostly unfamiliar group of students. In most circumstances, the extent of the relationships shared by many of these students includes collaborating on dreaded group projects or studying for an equally dreaded final test.

Usually, once that class is complete, the four month long affiliation between many of those classmates reduces to a head nod of acknowledgment as they past one another on campus until they finally graduate.

I’ve mapped out the typical evolution of classmate relationships over a semester because I think our lack of regard for our fellow classmates allows us to waste valuable opportunity. The college setting is the perfect environment to build a strong professional network among peers. As proactive public relations students, we look for conferences and other forums organized by professionals in our field to do networking. Our campuses and classrooms provide ideal circumstances for exiting college with strong relationships and contacts, yet we often overlook them. Below are a few ways college students can develop their peer networks before even graduating.

Exchange Business Cards

If you’re anything like me, you have purchased 250 or more business cards for a conference or networking event you attended and have barely put a dent in them. The beginning of the semester, complete with a fresh set of future colleagues, is the perfect opportunity for you to put those business cards to use. Let’s face it—not every classmate is going to become a close friend but many can become contacts. Exchanging business cards with a fellow classmate could make them want to develop a professional relationship with you.

Inquire About Internship Experiences and Relevant Opportunities

We attend colleges and universities with thousands of students who filter into the city and partake in unique opportunities that relate to our field. We can gain a lot from simply engaging in conversation with the person who sits next to us about what they’ve been able to learn in their past experiences. You never know! Your classmate could help you learn about relevant opportunities that you never previously considered pursuing. Simply engaging in conversation with a colleague can be an enriching exchange that encourages you to seek greater opportunities. Furthermore, sharing about hobbies and personal projects can help us better connect with our peers and even develop relationships that double as professional contacts and new friends.

Ask for Referrals to Past Professional Experiences

Once I apply to an internship or job opportunity, I usually file through my contacts to identify if I know someone who is already a part of that organization that may be able to help me get in. We all know that who you know can often be more valuable than what you know. Many college students may not have extensive connections with public relations professionals, but more often than not, a peer of ours has some affiliation with a professional that we wish to know. If we develop our peer network, we can utilize their professional network to gain new relationships and great opportunities. Personally, my past three public relations opportunities were landed largely because I was referred by a fellow student.

Join Professional Organizations Together

Professional organizations like PPRA or PRSA can provide invaluable opportunities to network or meet industry professionals, but it can be very intimidating for college students to immerse themselves in environments completely populated by people who already have well established careers. If students develop their peer networks, they can accompany one another in emerging into these professional organizations.

Don’t allow the opportunity to develop a strong professional network pass by you. Get rid of those unused business cards, spark up a few conversations, and finish up undergrad with numerous contacts and a strong network.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Jameeda Rucker. 

What are we really using LinkedIn for?

Since the beginning of this summer, I have noticed an increasing popularity around the social media platform LinkedIn. While I made an account on LinkedIn during my freshman year of college, I was never too active on the account until this past year when I began to network with people that I felt the need to connect with. Maybe it is because my peers and I are now beginning to advance in our careers, but it seems that I am not the only one who had the same idea.

When I first made my account, I was prompted to sortthrough the “suggested connections,” so I connected withany close friends who also had an account at that time. As I have met more people in college, I have continued to go on and connect with those I felt necessary. However, lately I have been receiving requests from all different people, some of whom I have not seen since high school. The times where I have watched my phone light up with the notification asking if I would like to connect with someone from high school that I barely knew then–or even have a remotely similar career path to now–lead me to think about what the purpose of this platform really is.

Typically when you think about logging into LinkedIn, youwould probably end up updating a section of your profile or connecting with someone that you recently met in a professional setting. One of the best aspects of this app is its ability to allow you to stay in contact with past professors and employers. Some people have even heard of that one friend of a friend’s sister who received a full time job with benefits right in her LinkedIn inbox. With the importance of networking rising, LinkedIn has become crucial for staying in contact with those who could be beneficial to your career.

Or has it really just become a way to brag about your accomplishments to others?

If the future chemical engineers, firefighters, and financial advisors that I went to high school with want to connect with me, a communications student pursuing marketing and PR, what could have prompted their decision to connect with me? There is a slim chance our industries will ever cross paths, so did they just want me to look at their profile so I can see how well they are doing in college? Or has LinkedIn become a spinoff of Facebook where you need to have a certain amount of connections to be taken seriously?

Whatever their reasons may be, the most important thing to remember when using LinkedIn is that even though it has become the easiest way to present yourself as a professional, it is crucial that you are still able to network and act professional offline and in a public setting as well. 

Do you think the people you connect with on LinkedIn should be relevant to the industry you are planning to have a career in? Or should you have as many connections as possible, even if they are from completely different industries? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kristen VanLeer. 

Changing the Summer Slide into the College Glide

In numerous cases, what happens during the summer stays in the summer. A gloomy reality, though is, what is learned in the classroom may very well be put to the side and filed in our brain somewhere, only to be used once we get back to school. Avoiding that summer slide is essential, even though our courses can drain the life out of us throughout the semester. Here are two tips that can assist you in keeping your mind sharp, as well as allowing you to enjoy the glamour that is summer.

1.     Read, read, and do a little more reading

Not everyone is fond of reading, but staying on top of a good book will help increase vocabulary, and reading part of the news will only keep you well informed. So when you go back to school you can use all the fancy words you had learned, and give insight to what is going on in the world, and not solely about what you did July 4^th. You can also see some of the Prowl-recommended summer reads here and here.

2.     Staying in contact

It is always a nice feeling to know that someone is looking out for you, so why not be that person to check up on a new friend you had made during the year and see how their doing. College; and even life as an adult are all about relationships, so you want to keep the relationships you make with others strong. Also if possible, it is always helpful to get in contact with professors you admire. Those professors may know something new that is going on around campus that could help you get ahead.

Having a fun summer is vital to keeping our sanity, but keeping ones mind sharp is just as essential--especially when you forget certain things that are common sense.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Joshua Ortiz. 

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Internship

July is a reminder that the summer is half over, and those with internships have fully settled in. This month is the perfect time to reflect upon your experience, since there’s still time to make the most of your internship. Below are tips to help fellow interns stand out from the crowd and reach personal objectives:

Communicate with your supervisor

Interns often get lost in the shuffle of their busy boss' agenda. Create a list of goals you want to achieve while interning and share them with your supervisor. Goals that are specific, timely and measurable will benefit you and your boss by getting you both back on the same page. During this conversation, ask your supervisor if they are satisfied with your work; this establishes open communication to better the overall experience.

Network with coworkers

Many of the employees working around you have valuable insights and potential connections. Get to know those you work with--it's as simple as asking about their professional endeavors, hobbies, etc. Find out what you have in common with others and share your interests to see what future opportunities may lie ahead. Stay in touch with coworkers when your internship ends by connecting with them on LinkedIn.

Beat Boredom

Most internships aren't overly exciting, so it’s your job to find ways to keep yourself occupied. Talk to your boss and see if there are extra projects that need to be completed; if not, go to other employees you bonded with to see if they need your assistance. Interns are often brought on to help with smaller tasks, so working with other departments can lead to good hands on experience and diversifies your resume. If there is literally nothing to do, don’t revert to social media! Instead take advantage of your time by learning new skills on Lynda.com. Adding to your skill set can provide more opportunities to complete other projects. 

Don't get stuck in the mid-way internship slump! Be willing to put yourself out there because the return could include new connections and skills.

Networking and sharpening PR skills over the summer without the stress

(Source: commons.wikimedia.org)

I don’t know about anybody else, but networking as a student and/or budding professional is kind of nerve-wreaking. There’s the speed networking, the awkward ice breakers, trying to meet people who are way out of your league--—professionally speaking of course. The other kind of “getting to know people out of your league” is for another blog entirely.

The skinny of it is that networking is hard—especially during a time when we need to decompress or work that summer internship/job we spent the last several months trying to get.

With that in mind, I made up a small list of things you can do over the summer to make the daunting task of networking and sharpening your PR skills feel less intimidating.

1.     Say “yes” to as many opportunities as possible: Sometimes, a professional connection isn’t made at a mixer or a panel discussion. In reality, we meet professional connections every day at volunteering events, while traveling and even at casual parties. Keep those business cards handy this summer--you might meet your next employer at your aunt’s yearly get-together or at your local farmers market.

2.     Read at least 30 minutes a day: It’s just science. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has proven that reading develops vocabulary, exposes you to different writing styles, and deepens your subject knowledge. It also gives you an opportunity to comprehend a topic at your own pace. All of these help build your skills as a professional and make you more articulate in your field. So go out to the local bookstore this summer and browse the titles- at the very least, you will have some great poolside reading.

3.     Keep up with the news and talk about it: It’s time to put on the 4 o’clock news and read the newspaper, because a lot of employers and mentors looks for people that keep up with the times. You don’t have to do much- just know what is going on in your neighborhood and you will excel in any future position. To help with the search for a good news outlet, I recommend theSkimm and the Associated Press News App. Both are free ways to find out what’s new in the neighborhood.

4.     Write about things you like and pitch it to a magazine: This is a fun project. Find something you are interested in, be it fitness, arts, music, spinning plates on sticks, or whatever it is, and write an article about it. After you do that, try and pitch it to a magazine or local newspaper. If you aren’t getting any bites, start a blog about it and keep pitching those ideas- persistence is key.

5.     Set a social media follower goal:  If social media is your forte, make a goal to increase your following this summer. Plan out posts, giveaways, and other promotional means to get to that goal. It’s great practice and may even have you meeting other professionals in your field.

6.     Learn a skill – If you do only one thing over the summer, make sure you are learning something. Even if it is something that is completely irrelevant to your professional future, sometimes all you need to do is follow your passion of the moment and it will have you meeting people you thought you would never meet.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Kelly Armstrong.