by Shawn Entrikin and Leia Bell, with Paul Rising and Anna Matthias
Seventy percent of today's job market is dependent on who you know, not what you know.
That's right, 70 percent. Now, that doesn't mean that your stellar resume will not help you in landing your next job. It does mean, however, that who you know is a lot more important than your ability to navigate around Monster.com.
But what does it mean to know somebody – what is networking? For many people, networking has the negative connotation of going to cocktail parties and schmoozing. For a lot of people, that form of networking is just not comfortable. Fortunately there are many other ways to network that don't involve cocktail parties.
According to Shawn Entrikin, adjunct faculty of organizational leadership and National University alum, networking is more about building relationships than it is about schmoozing. It's about building bridges between you and opportunity and using the resources that you have to create those bridges. "You should always be networking," says Shawn, "because you should always be seeking new opportunities." The average working adult only stays in a job for five years now, which is why constantly looking for your next opportunity is so important.
During an average day, there are countless opportunities to build these bridges and to transform relationships into resources. Joining a professional organization is a great way to open up networking opportunities. However, these organizations and their events can often be large and overwhelming for those who are more reserved and have trouble approaching people. Those people might try getting more involved in an organization by joining a committee in which they can work more closely with people.
Another great opportunity to network is at class or at workshops and seminars. "It's easy to come to class and do what you have to do to earn a good grade. Your mind is on a million other things and so when it's time to go you're out the door," says Shawn. However, you could be missing a great opportunity by not taking time to build relationships that can open doors for you down the road. "When you come to class at National or attend any sort of professional workshop or seminar, you have a captive cohort of people who share the same interests as you, and they all have connections to other people." So make the most of them!
Even though you may no longer be attending classes at National, the University still provides opportunities and resources for networking. This year, the National University Professional Network (NUPN) will be launched to provide a venue through which students and alumni can interact, mentor, and learn how to benefit professionally from one another and the University.
NUPN's first meeting will take place in San Diego on February 15 (other details TBD). For more information or to join our roster, please e-mail alumni@nu.edu or call (858) 642-8008.
