Professional Network

An internship is an ideal opportunity to network. Because you are only contracted to work with a company for 3-6 months, depending on the internship, it is crucial to use the internship as a networking opportunity for future employment. Whether or not the internship is compatible with your long-term career goals, you never know who you can meet, who they know, and what will come out of a professional relationship.

Throughout my internship with LACD, I have had the opportunity to network and meet recruiters, important faculty, and business people nation wide. While it may not seem important for a communications major to network with a financial group or insurance company, those connections are crucial for getting an intern’s name out there. A fantastic tool for this is Linked In. As a professional networking web site, Linked In allows for contacts to be made using professional similarities. I have found this incredibly helpful throughout my internship. Whenever we bring in a guest speaker or I meet someone new at LACD, I link to them on Linked In. This gives me access to all of their professional contacts, many of which have careers I would dream of having one day. This powerful, convenient tool allows me to contact them and exchange professional information.

I have also found that networking goes both ways. When meeting professional contacts, it is important to not only think about what their network can do for you, but what your network can do for them. Do you have a friend or classmate who would be a great fit for their company? Even if you are not a fit for an internship or position, it does not mean the networking should stop. When I network, I always am thinking of who I know that will be a good fit for their needs. These recommendations will benefit not only the recruiter and your contacts, but will highlight you as a professional networker. It will also help you stand out in a contact’s mind, so if they hear about a position that is right for your qualifications, they will be willing to pass on your name.