This is my favorite blog. I absolutely love the spotlight section. I recently graduated college from a prestigious university with a "media studies" major and what seems to be ZERO connections to the public relations world/New York in general. I've had a lot of editorial experience but never a technical public relations internship. I know that I am qualified for entry-level positions, but I can't seem to make the right connections. Online job boards seem pointless. Need some advice.
One of my professional mantras is when you are not working, you should be networking.  I recognize it is not as easy as it sounds.  What exactly is networking and how do you get started?  Hopefully, I can shed some light on what may seem challenging and get you networking in no timeâŠ
Networking is the cultivation of relationshipsâoften professionalâto build contacts and leads, and ultimately expand your network. Â Networks are important because so much of what we do in PR relies on our contacts. Â The title âPublic Relationsâ says it allâthe relationships we have with the press to benefit the public are everything.
So, how does it work? Well, first of all, get yourself out there as much as possible. Â Join organizations that allow you to mix, mingle and meet people in your industry. For beauty and communications, I personally like CEW.org and NYWICI.org. Â I also recently joined a Lean In circle of like-minded female PR professionalsâan amazing way to expand my network. Â Taking courses, attending events, reaching out to people on sites liked LinkedIn, and meeting up with professionals in the industry for exploratory interviews, for example, can all be good ways to network. Â You can also find alternative ways of meeting new people like âsweat workingââbusiness networking while exercising. Â If you know an editor, for example, who loves taking spinning classes, offer to take him/her to one. Â It can strengthen your relationship (and body) at the same time! Â (There is actually a company that focuses just on organizing these sweat working classes.)
The one thing I will caution about networking is that many people rely on meeting other people to advance their careers. Â That is NOT a reason you should network. Â Yes, it often results in leads and opportunities, but nobody is responsible for your career growth other than you. Â Keep that in mind.
On that note, here are a few networking takeaways that I live by:
Make at least one new connection each month, but if you are just starting out in your career, bump that up to 3-5 new connections a month. That means you will have 36-60 new connections in one year.
Keep up with those connections in a genuine way. Â Reach out to say hello every 6 weeks or so, congratulate them on a great campaign or feature you know they worked on, offer to meet up for coffee/tea every few monthsâit takes work keeping up with your network, so choose a few contacts that are important and put in the time.
Donât ask for favorsânot unless you have become close enough to the person to do so. And when you do, use your ask for something good because you should not ask anything of that person again for a while.
When attending a networking event, exchange at least 3 business cardsâleave with at least 3 new connections and reach out right away to simply express how nice it was to meet that person.
Donât hide behind onlineâthat includes LinkedIn or your email. Â Come out of your shell. It takes practice, but PR people cannot be shy, so attend a lot of events and introduce yourself to people. It will only help you overcome the intimidation of networking in large groups.
So, now that you have a better idea of networking, I challenge you to meet someone new today. Get working!
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