Networking Tips

Students will have the opportunity to sit down with Career Connectors and connect on the following topics:
Does the idea of meeting people you don’t know form a pit in your stomach and make you say “UGH”? You are not alone!

Networking is one of the scariest professional skills to acquire, but it is a valuable one. To help you get comfortable with the idea of meeting new people, we encourage you to look at it as an opportunity to connect with people who are willing to share the raw truth of their day-to-day realities and lessons learned.

Making the most of opportunities to connect:

• Come prepared. Bring multiple copies of your resume, pens, a notepad and business cards.
• Know your goals. What is your purpose for attending the 2017 SHRM Student Case Competition and Career Summit? To learn how to interview? To make a career shift and start over? To expand upon your HR knowledge? To meet a new friend? Whatever it is, taking the time to think about your goals will help you to ask the right questions and gain the insight you are looking for.
• Identify the right people. Take time up front to really get to know the Career Connectors who will be at the event. Whose story sounds the most fascinating? What area of HR interests you the most, and will someone knowledgeable in that area be available to speak with? Is there a certain geographic region you are trying to stay in or move to?
• Follow up. Be sure to get the contact information for your new connections and follow up with them one week after the event, even if it is just to say hi and nice to meet you. You never know where life will take you and how the connections you make today will affect you tomorrow.

The questions below are designed to help you get a better picture of how HR professionals of today got to where they are and what their daily routine looks like:

• What do you wish you had known when you first started your career?
• What experience did you have to land your first job?
• What is your background and experience?
• What is a typical workday like?
• How long is your workday?
• What are your primary job responsibilities?
• How much variety is there in your work?
• How much of your time is spent collaborating with other people?
• How much contact and what kinds of interactions do you have with individuals or groups outside the office or organization?
• Does your job require you to travel?
• What do you like/dislike most about your work?
• What are some of the toughest problems you have had to face, and how did you handle them?
• What type of professional and personal skills does it take to succeed as an HR professional?
• What is the size and makeup of your organization? What are the pluses/minuses?
• What do you see as the major issues/trends in the field today?
• Are there any publications, blogs or influential people you would recommend reading or following?
• Are there any professional associations you would recommend joining?
• Do you recommend any certifications or additional classes/degrees?
• What would be a typical next career move for someone in your position?
• What recommendations do you have for me regarding a job search strategy?
• What other people do you recommend that I talk with? May I tell them that you referred me to them?
• If you were going to hire a young professional at your organization today, what characteristics and skills would you be seeking?