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Keys to Networking Success Virtual Workshop ScriptSlide 1: Title SlideHello and welcome to the Ohio University Career and Leadership Development Center’s Keys to Networking Success Virtual Workshop.Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know?”Well, that is often true, but the statement should be edited to say, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and what they know about you!”This virtual workshop will cover networking basics, give you the opportunity to develop an elevator pitch, and discuss how to utilize LinkedIn and informational interviews for networking success.Slide 2: Learning OutcomesToday you will:Identify at least 2 ways to begin developing your professional networkDevelop a 30 second elevator pitch for networking Understand some ways to network using online platforms Slide 3: What is networking?Let’s talk a little bit about what networking really is and what it can mean for working is not just about asking people for a job, or something that has to be formal. Networking can happen anytime, anywhere, with anyone. Cultural commonalities can be places to begin networking, such as with people that identify with your gender, race, culture or age group. Then, you can begin to branch out from these comfort zones to can grow your network even stronger and help you practice your cultural competency.Slide 4: What is networking?Networking is about relationships and people connecting with people. Often it is as simple as first finding common interests with someone you are talking to and beginning a foundational relationship. Networking is about gaining information, giving information and making and maintaining contacts. Slide 5: Why is networking important?Networking can inevitably help you in the job market and give you an edge on the competition because of the relationships you have built and maintained with people in your working also helps you remain informed, gain visibility from employers for future opportunities and build your confidence and experience.Slide 6: Where to Start Most questions that we get in the CLDC about networking is where to even begin. First, start with people you are comfortable talking with, also referred to as informal contacts, like friends, neighbors, friends of the family, distant relatives and others you have come to know in your life.Then, these people can begin to open your network for you by introducing you to those in their own network. Often times, it is second connections that inevitably cause a person’s network to truly grow and become stronger in their industry, but it starts with talking to the people you know first.In the end, you will then need to do a little bit of leg work and get in touch with these NEW people. We will talk more about how this can look, but let’s start with an activity to think through this a little more.Slide 8: Your Contacts For this activity you will need the corresponding worksheet that goes along with this workshop video. The title of this worksheet is Networking Connections. Networking Worksheet ActivityUse the example on your screen to start working in the “Today” section of this worksheet and identify at least ten people that are already in your network. Start with your informal contacts like friends and family who are professionals in their field. These should be people that you trust to help you out and that you have taken time to invest in the relationship you have with them. Press PAUSE on this video and take five minutes to fill out this portion of the worksheet.Next, let’s think through some actions you can now take with some of the people on this list, or potentially people you have been meaning to connect for a while. By being an active member of your own network, you can also be the person that connects people who are in need of growing their professional network, too. For instance, do you have a friend who has mentioned they need to find an internship in marketing next year, but they don’t know anyone in the industry. You might have someone listed in your own network that could help this person out, such as a friend or family member who also works in marketing. Additionally, you may have someone that did not make it on your original top 10 list that you wish your connection were stronger, such as a friend’s parent or someone in an industry that you met at a career fair last year. At the bottom of this worksheet, identify this person and list at least one way you could strengthen and reach out to this person to make this connection stronger by next month.Let’s PAUSE for a few seconds and work through these sections of the worksheet marked Next Week and Next Month.CONGRATULATIONS! You have started to work on building your network. Now let’s discuss ways you can move from building your network on paper to introducing yourself to potential future connections.Slide 9: The Elevator Pitch How many times have you heard this phrase? You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.This is something you will hear throughout your life because, not only is it a true statement, but it is something that can help to guide you as you grow your network.Most people struggle with the first question they get when interacting with someone new. The “tell me about yourself” question can be scary, illusive and uncomfortable if you don’t take the time to think about it before it is asked.This can be something that could be asked in a job interview, in any situation where you are making a new networking connection, when introducing yourself to someone in your industry or even when you are requesting an informational interview. Since this question comes up and often holds the keys to making that good first impression, I am going to guide you through how to answer this question with more confidence in one on one situations and even in writing. For this next activity, you will need to refer to the second worksheet that corresponds with this video called “The Elevator Pitch” worksheet.Slide 10: Perfecting Your PitchLet’s spend some time crafting your elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a statement or group of statements that should be short enough to present to someone during a brief?elevator?ride from one floor to another.Press PAUSE on this video and answer the five questions that are listed at the top of this worksheet.Next, use the example framework on this worksheet to fill in the blanks with some of the answers you wrote at the top of this worksheet. As a reminder, an elevator pitch can formal or informal, and can be used for different reasons, so the way you answer the questions might depend on the networking situation in which you plan to use the pitch. This framework is only an example of how to start thinking about your elevator pitch, but you can change this and turn it into your own style after you have written it out and started thinking about it.Press PAUSE on this video to fill out the remainder of this worksheet with the elevator pitch framework, and then filling in the blank lines at the bottom of the page with your own style of elevator pitch. Remember, you get to tell someone what you want them to know about you. This information can have humor, be informal or formal and match your personality within reason.GREAT! How did that go? Do you feel like you have a start to a good “tell me about yourself” answer? At the end of this workshop, I will let you know how you can get in touch with a professional coach in the CLDC if you want to spend even more time practicing and perfecting your pitch.Slide 11: Online Networking PlatformsNow, let’s switch gears a bit and talk about your online network.With our current technologically driven world, many online social media networks double as professional networking sites, so it’s important that you think through what these platforms say about you. Especially if you are beginning your professional journey.Sites such as, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube are used in employer recruiting. Know that what you put out on social media are things you want to be sure you are comfortable sharing with future employers, too.Recruiters rely heavily on online platforms to recruit and screen candidates for jobs.As you can see in this infographic, these social media platforms are being viewed and engaged in by employers up to 92% of the time when they are recruiting talent. So, the question is, what does your social media say about you?Slide 12: Your Online ImageLet’s dig into why it is important to think about and protect your online reputation.You can protect yourself and your reputation by doing a few things regularly to make sure you know what others are seeing about you and what employers might see if they are looking for new talent.Carefully checking and updating your privacy settings is the first step. Do you ever Google yourself or ask friends to look at your social media accounts to see what they think your image says about you? Simply starting with a quick browser search, updating your privacy setting and taking the time to ask others what they think you represent is a good place to start.Next, consider the content, message, and audience before posting anything to any of your social media sites. It’s not only about what your parents or friends might think about your online image, it’s about what everyone else who doesn’t know you personally thinks when they see your posts. There is a power in pausing before hitting submit or post before putting information out on the internet.Lastly, consider posting or sharing content relevant to their major or industry, or even company you want to work for. Employers will see this and know your interest if you start this work now. You can also post content related to volunteer work or causes you care about, as well as samples of your work or things you are proud of from your past. Maintaining a strong social media presence is important, but also making sure that brand is positive is just as important as you begin your professional journey after college.Slide 13: Keys to Networking Success ReviewLet’s review some of the topics we covered today in this video.You now know how important it is to start and maintain your network. It all starts with building relationships and maintaining old ones.Make sure you know who you are and what you have to offer. Taking time to reflect on those things that make sense to share with someone in person or in an email regarding your professional pursuits is essential to building a strong reputation and professional presence with others.Lastly, be consistent with your image, know what it says about you - not only in person, but also online.Slide 14: HandshakeIf?you would like to speak with a coach in the CLDC?to?virtually?discuss your career and leadership goals and experiences, we are available to have these discussions with you in a 30-minute session.? You can schedule these appointments using the Handshake platform.??You can log into Handshake at ohio..??Once logged in?with your Ohio University?email and password, click on Career Center on the top bar of the Handshake homepage,?and then click on Appointments.??We look forward to hearing from you soon.?? ................
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