Introducing the Advice & Career Corner!

Last year, while attending a "professional development" event, the speaker presented an intriguing stat; Roughly 80% of jobs are given through referrals, networking, and internal hiring. This number took me by surprise, so I decided to set a goal of going to one event each week. Now, by no means does this information translate into "abandon your resume", because as we all know resumes reflect our relevant experiences, skills, and qualifications for a job. Regardless of the "success" of networking or the positive impression you made, you will be asked to provide a well-structured, organized resume.

I would like to share with you three tips that have helped me build and maintain strong relationships.

1) Be genuine: Build relationships with a sincere interest in others, not just for personal gains. Even if the initial goal was to talk to a recruiter for a potential internship, these people are not robots and also seek human connection. Build rapport and learn about their career journey, successes and failures- there is something to learn from every conversation.

2) Listen more: I believe that there is no better privilege than picking the brain of someone more experienced and knowledgeable than you. Your brain at that time should be a sponge that absorbs information. Ask questions, be engaged in the conversation, and listen.

3) Offer value: As young professionals, we are not expected to have the same level of knowledge as an advanced, experienced professional. How we can differentiate ourselves is by offering our unique opinions/perspectives on things. Use your fresh perspective to your advantage. Share your knowledge and insights on topics that are interesting to you because you never know if that information can be helpful to someone else.