GenYNetworking.com

4 Classic Networking Tips

Yesterday, I met Heather Huhman in person for the first time at Ohio State University’s Brand You event. She said that while employers sometimes struggle to connect with Gen Y online, Gen Y does not know how to get offline. I could relate since most of the networking events I attend are tweetups or through Public Relations Students Society of America, so I often already have a a sense of the people I am meeting from connecting with them online.

However, in the past week I attended two networking events that were primarily with whole new groups of people, mostly employers who aren’t online. My personal effort to take networking offline and Heather’s advice yesterday inspired me to write a few tips for Gen Y who are doing classic, face-to-face networking.

• Don’t just attend events within your industry. Go to young professional events or go to another event on a topic that interests that interests you. I have written this before, but I truly believe an event does not have to be labeled “networking” for it to help you meet new people that could potentially help you in your job search.
• Find  events with employers who genuinely want to help Gen Y. Ideally it is best to attend as many networking events as possible, but time constraints can force you to go to certain networking events and decline others. So which ones should you chose? When I went to networking events this week, one was with an audience of an older generation. Everyone was very nice, but I didn’t meet  many people and many people I did meet seemed unsure of how to help me. However, I went to a networking event at my school that was targeted to help students looking for jobs. Right away, I met the nicest people who gave me their business cards and let me knows ways they could help me from being a friend to finding a job. It’s good to try different events and get out in the community, don’t discount the ones that are meant for you, Gen Y.
• Find people who work at the companies you want to meet. Heather said another mistake Gen Y makes is searching for specific job positions rather than figuring out which companies would be a good fit for them. Figure out which companies you like and what you could offer them. Make an effort to reach out to your potential employers within those companies. If the employers are online, you can easily find out what professional development sessions or networking events they might be attending through Eventbrite, LinkedIn events or Facebook events, which all usually display a list of attendees. If the event is open to the public, go and introduce yourself with your 60-second pitch.
• Follow-up within a day or two of anyone you meet in person at a networking event. Send an e-mail and start to develop a relationship online. Determine what you can offer your new connection before you ask for anything. Keep building the relationship online and off by connecting on social media sites or meeting for coffee. According to Heather, it’s best to follow up once a month or once every two months with your connections.

What classic, face-to-face networking tips can you offer Gen Y job candidates?