Networking

Whether you like it or not, networking is perhaps one of the most important, if not the most important, factor in finding your next job.  Because of the tremendous number of individuals applying for jobs these days, you have to do everything you can to put your name at the top of the pile. Often, job interviews are given to those individuals who already have a history with the company or who have some type of personal contact with an existing employee.  Therefore, if you are truly committed to landing a good job, you must incorporate networking into your job search.  Below are some suggestions of how to network successfully outside of academia.   

Suggestions from the BYU Humanities Advisement Center

The Academic Advisors at the BYU Humanities Advising Center recommend the following:
  • Identify people who are in careers that sound interesting to you, even if they are not directly related to your major.
  • Find out about people in your home ward or neighborhood, people your family know, and others in your community you can contact.
  • Log on to the BYU Alumni networking database at alumni3.byu.edu. 
  • Create a LinkedIn profile.
  • Talk to faculty. Often, faculty members are connected to major-related industries; for example, some language faculty members are connected to the translation and interpretation industry.
(Borrowed from the BYU Undergraduate Student Guide to the College of Humanities)

Networking Resources

Below are some networking resources that may be helpful:

LinkedIn

As a graduate student you may not be aware of the LinkedIn community that exists in the professional world.  Launched in 2003, LinkedIn has over 300 million users in over 200 countries, and approximately 40% of these users check their LinkedIn account on a daily basis, making it a tremendously viable social network (May 2014, By the Numbers: 88 Amazing LinkedIn Statistics). Often, you can use LinkedIn to not only connect with your professional acquaintances, but to also search for jobs, join professional groups and make professional connections that would never have been possible otherwise.  Just as with any social media outlet, be wise with your use of this tool, but don't be afraid to experiment a little. 

 Below are a couple of articles on how to use LinkedIn effectively:

BYU has two LinkedIn alumni groups that may be helpful for Humanities M.A. students.  One is called The Official Brigham Young University (BYU) Alumni Network, Current Students Welcome, and the other is called BYU Alumni-College of Humanities.

Another group that may be of interest is BYU Translation and Localization, which can help you get your foot in the door in this field.

According to Cheryl Conner in her Forbes post "Five LinkedIn Strategies You Haven't Thought Of Before,"  
LinkedIn helped people during 2013 to:
  • Research people and companies (75.8 percent)
  • Reconnect with past business associates/colleagues (70.6 percent)
  • Build new relationships with people who may influence potential customers (45 percent)
  • Increase face-to-face networking effectiveness (41.2 percent)
Check out the infographic below for more information: