Network Your Way Into that Job!

Hello everyone!

Now it’s that time of the year, D-term and if you’re a senior you probably have mixed feelings like I do. You love WPI and will miss it dearly once you graduate, but at the same time you’re freaking out about finding a job soon enough so you know how your life will be once school is over. One thing that always stood out to me which I should also work on: Network Your Way into Jobs!

All of us fill online applications on company websites and wait to hear back from companies, however unless their HR department is very well organized and punctual or you know an employee in that company, you really don’t hear back and that becomes a disappointment. Don’t you worry, it’s not because you’re not qualified, it’s because most likely your resume and cover letter are lost in the digital pile of countless applications! So let’s change the strategy and find that inside connection, so people actually read your information and invite you to interviews.

The easiest method to find an inside connection that most people disregard is LinkedIn! You can use the advanced search option on LinkedIn and look for people who are included in both that specific company’s and WPI’s networks. This means they are WPI alumni who work at that company, then you can add them on LinkedIn and send them an inmail asking for a time slot to have a phone conversation.

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During the conversation, don’t directly ask “What jobs do you have for me?”, but ask them how do they like the company, how was their training process, how did their WPI education benefited their transition to the job, etc. So really get to know them and empathize. All in all, these people were in your shoes when they graduated and they are the ones who can give you the best idea if you would like to work at that company.  Then towards the end of the conversation you can ask them ‘Who would be a good person to contact to discuss potential employment?’ Using a similar approach, you can get to know the next person and eventually hand in your resume to someone who has the ability to get you hired for the company.

Never underestimate the power of networking, you can work your way into that job just by going on LinkedIn and making a couple phone calls. Good luck with the job hunt!

Evy 😉