TOPIC 4: NETWORKS

Do you hate networking? Or do you just feel that you should be better at reaching out to people who share your professional interests? Is there a person you know about and admire as a professional but never had a proper conversation with? If any of these is true, this paper topic may be for you.

1. Between now and writing the paper, establish a relationship with a person in the field where you are planning to build your career.

2. Describe why you wanted to build a relationship with that person and why you have not done it before.

3. Describe how you prepared for reaching out to the person and how you reached out to him/her. Typical ways to reach out are asking for help, advice, or information. Be patient and prepare to build the person’s interest gradually. Ask yourself why it should be interesting for the person to speak with you and make sure you have an answer. Be respectful of their time.

4. How did the person react to your attempts to reach out? What was the outcome of your efforts?

5. What did you learn from this experience? What did you do right? What would you do differently if you did it again?This topic is unlike all others. To write on it, you will need to take action. This may be challenging for some, but it may also be fun and rewarding. Some students got their dream jobs because this course encouraged them to come out of their shell! Feel free to ask for my advice on ways to reach out.