Networking

Throughout my time as a public relations student, the importance of one word has been drilled into me: networking. A dictionary defines networking as "a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest."

I have only heard positive things about networking: that you can gain a potential employer, obtain contacts with media, gain vital information and the list goes on and on. To me networking is intimidating exactly for those reasons. I want to be myself when I meet a new person, but knowing I have to impress that person scares me a little. What if I say the wrong thing or do not meet their standards?

Having gone to Real World PR, I got great experiences with being myself while talking to potential employers. Talking to the first organization representative was extremely intimidating, but after awhile it seemed I was just talking like I would to anyone else. As the afternoon went on, I did not hesitate to speak to public relations professionals and ask them my questions.

First impressions are an extremely important part of networking. One does not want to seem uninterested or disrespectful. Great eye contact and a firm handshake is a great start to a conversation. Networking opens doors and windows, which would otherwise be closed if you did not make that connection. Just as important as making that first connection is keeping a relationship with that person because that connection may not payoff until five years down the line.

Real World PR prepared me for a lot of things, and networking was definitely on the top of that list.