What do you mean you have not started networking?  Student organizations, sororities and fraternities, sports teams and honor societies all fall into the category of places where you make connections. If you are on Facebook, you are part of the largest social networking site. In fact, your use of social networks has familiarized you the skills you need to translate into face to face connections.

Our definition of networking is often tied to finding a job. In the past few months there have been many articles written, referring to this economy as the catalyst for ‘the golden age of networking’. Not only are the unemployed seeking links to potential opportunities, but those who still have their jobs are seeking out ways to keep their networks current. In addition, many employers encourage formal networking within an organization. In other words, networking is a life skill. It is continuous and requires time and energy to manage.

In today’s New York Times, the article ‘On the Job, but on the Lookout for Work’ describes a number of professionals and the strategies they are using to keep connected. One of those is Katherine Wu. “A self-described ‘networking evangelist’, her profile is posted on LinkedIn and she gets five to seven call a month from people looking for jobs. She answers every one. It makes good sense, she explained. Someday it could be her placing the call.”

Being proactive in establishing your connections and offering to help others puts you in the mix of professionals in your field. Over time this will pay dividends as you transition from one position to the next. It will also help you to have a group of people you can look to for advice in the everyday management of your career.

Start today with your friends, talk to them about your plans and ask for help. Then ask them how you might support them in their career.

“The idea of having to schmooze with people I didn’t know was unappealing.” Maybe peer networking is a viable alternative. An article in yesterday’s New York Times; ‘For Help Finding a Job, Friends in Low Places’ describes the ‘peer infiltration’ approach to networking. The traditional assumption is to find a contact who is highly placed in an organization and schedule an information interview. According to the article, the world of online social networks is translating into a bottom-up approach to job search. Now is the time to extend your social network to a job referral network.

“…I realized the idea of networking was about reconnecting with people you know from elementary school, high school and college. It was just like asking your friends for favors.” Think about this. Has your friend or a classmate given you contact information for an internship? Most of us don’t even think of the person sitting next to us in an 10 o’clock class as a potential network contact. Look around. The Trojan Network is alive and well in every class you take.

As you make the transition from Facebook to job search, make sure your friends can speak to your professional qualities. Give them a copy of your resume and be very specific on the skills you would like them to highlight. And, in this context, treat your friends as professional connections.

This afternoon when you arrive a few minutes early for class, engage the person sitting next to you in a career conversation. You may be able to help them in their job search and they may be able to assist you. Lateral networking is far less intimidating. Try it.

Why do you want to work for us? A simple question, with an easy answer. Yet most employers find this is the query that eliminates a large percentage of applicants. Why? Because many candidates cannot answer the question.

Back to basics. Before you ever send out a resume, figure out what you want to do. Not what your parents or friends think you should do; what you want to do. Then do your research. Who employs people like you with your career aspirations? Again, a simple process.

Here is the hard part. This year there may be fewer opportunities for new college graduates. It may take longer to find a job. However, if you do your research and target your job search, you will improve your chances for success.

Approach this with the effort or preparing for a final exam or writing a final paper. What would you do for an ‘A’? What should you do to get your dream job?

Here are some thoughts:

Meet with a career advisor to discuss your career goals. If you are confused, a conversation may help clarify your plans.

Review the job postings on connectSC and on-campus recruiting. Familiarize yourself with the terminology of potential employers. Can you see some common language in what they are seeking in a new hire and your objectives?

Build a list of possible employers. Use resources available on connectSC including the Vault guides. Listen to podcasts of panels. Attend employer events. Get to know the reference librarian. Join a professional association. Conduct information interviews with alumni on the Trojan Network. Use every possible resource to collect information.

Schedule a mock interview. Practice your answers to interview questions before you meet with a recruiter.

An employer will ask you ‘Why do you want to work for us?’ There is no hidden agenda. They are asking you to articulate your career goals as they fit with the goals of their organization. They want to know if you have done your research. How well you answer may be the key to advancing to the next step in the selection process.

If you spend a significant effort on yourself: doing your research, identifying potential employers, a recruiter will anticipate a similar level of commitment in the workplace.

Are you curious about why some people succeed and others do not? If you had the opportunity, who would you like to interview about their success? What would you ask?

Here in Southern California there is no shortage of people who like to talk about themselves. They need someone to talk to – you!

Let’s start by making that list of who you want to meet. Since we are talking about careers, let’s focus on professional connections – not Facebook. Once you have your list, google these folks for background, then email or call to schedule an appointment. (Here is a hint – you are a college student who may be working on a class project and need some information from an industry expert – use this as an introduction when you are requesting a meeting.) Anticipate rejection, but don’t give up. Request a minimal length of time (15 – 20 minutes), offer a wide range of dates ( next 3 weeks) and be charming and humble (even if arrogance if viewed as an asset in the industry).

Once you have your meeting, develop a set of questions. Keep it short and to the point. What is it that you want to know about this individual that will help guide you in your career decision? Here are a few suggestions:

Why do you think you have been successful in this field?

What experiences served as building blocks to your success?

Did you experience failure? How did you recover and move forward?

How do you balance work and family? Have there been tradeoffs?

What do you look for when selecting a new employee?

What does it take to be a success in this field?

If you can, meet with folks at their workplace. It is one thing to hear people talk about their work, it is another to experience the work environment and observe them in it. Remember, you are trying to absorb as much information as you can in a short time to help you in your career decision. Think Dian Fossey among the gorillas of Rwanda. Observe the culture, the behaviors and the office decor. Could you be successful here?

How many people should you meet? It is not all about quantity. It may be that your first contact answers your questions and you are on a track to follow your dream. Or, your first information interview only leads to more questions. Before you leave, ask for an additional contact; someone who may be able to answer these additional questions.

This is networking for career information. Once you have an idea and can articulate your direction, go back to these folks and thank them for helping you get this far. You may ask for additional help; a resume review or an introduction. This ‘information’ network may then transform into a ‘job search’ network that may evolve into a mentor relationship or business opportunity. Don’t overthink the labels, just keep in touch. Success can be measured in Facebook friends or how well you manage and grow your professional network.

How do you ask people to help you figure out what you want to do with your life? Everyone talks about networking being a critical skill in a successful job search, but few people do it well. Many people are just shy. Others feel intimidated by a process that seems to be asking for something without providing something in return. Let’s start by defining professional networking.

Many of you are members of social networking groups through Facebook and MySpace. Some of you may have joined a professional site such as LinkedIn. These can be useful places to do some online research, and maintain your contacts but in the end you are going to have a face to face conversation. Professional networking is a way of connecting with people with a similar career interest; sharing information and contacts in the field.

People love to talk about what they do. Don’t be intimidated. Professionals are busy and may not IM, but they will talk to you. Just be patient. What can you give in return? They want to hear what you think: about their profession, about you and about what is happening at USC.

How do you start? It all comes back to what you want to do. If you don’t yet know, pick a couple of areas of interest. Then start building a list of who you would like meet. Start with friends and family. Who might know someone in your field of interest? This is networking.

The CPPC has it’s own networking database, the Trojan Network. This is a resource with over 7,600 alumni who have volunteered to provide information and advice to USC students. Log on and begin to identify some folks for your network. You may select up to three contacts per month.

Next, join a professional association. You can easily access a listing through the USC Library database. Once you are on the site, click on Advanced Search. Next change the content area to Associations. You can then search by career field. This will provide you with access to both local and national contacts. Many of these associations have portions of the site dedicated to career information.

Keep in touch with the people you met this summer in your internship or part time job. Let them know what you are thinking of doing. Talk to your faculty and TAs. They will have ideas on where to connect. Did you meet an alum at the football game Saturday? Follow up with an email. Your network is growing!

This afternoon while you are in class, look around the room. This is your Trojan Family. Meet at least two new students. Talk to them about what you are thinking about careerwise. Ask them about their plans. They may know someone. You may know someone. Now you are really networking!

The key to successful networking is managing your contacts over time. As you start, build a list of your contacts. You can add as you proceed throughout your career.

What questions do you have about this process? On Thursday this week, the blog will address the questions you can ask to get a networking conversation started. For now, start thinking about what you want to know that will help you decide if this is the career for you.