Comments on: Dude, It’s All Good All The Time in SLO Town and No. 1 in the West Cal Poly. So Why You Be Doggin’ Me To More Aggressively Network 24/7?

By: Daniel Fleek

Daniel Fleek — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:37:31 +0000

I think the article highlights the importance that just using Linkedin or asking friends for referrals is not the most effective way be succesful. In fact, it calls for creativity when learning to market yourself through networking. For example, having an”elevator pitch” for a summary of what you do I think is very important especially when talking to someone only briefly. This is something I need to come up with so that I could use in SLO when explaining what I want to do in the future. However, when we go to China or anywhere for the matter, I think the most important thing is to network with the people that share similar genuine interests so that real relationships can be made. Some companies that I think promote networking well within their companies include Google. I think their corporate culture has shaped their employees to interact more both in work and leisure which has been very successful to their company.

By: Keith Cody

Keith Cody — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:42:11 +0000

There’s a quote in the WSJ article:

Be the only person like yourself in the room,” Dr. Stybel advises.

When I worked for Macromedia, I was the sole Dreamweaver Platform Evangelist for the whole company. When layoffs came, I thought I was golden, after all, I was the only one in the whole company. In hindsite, that’s why I got axed during first round of layoffs.

It’s not important to just be the only person like yourself in the room, you have to be the only connected person in the room. That helps a bunch.

On the Orfalea COB forum on LinkedIn we discussed the lack of networking opportunities at the COB. Wharton has 19,000+ graduates on LinkedIn, Orfalea has less than 400. That’s quite a difference.

The Cal Poly motto, Learn By Doing, is even more relevant for building your network, since the school offers so little. Your need to build that network yourself.

By: Ashley Tyra

Ashley Tyra — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:38:17 +0000

One of the main takeaways from this article is that you need to not only successfully network, but you must also find creative ways to market yourself. It is important to find a way to stand out in a crowd. Even if your networking cannot produce a job opportunity for you, there are creative ways to tap into your network. Asking people from your network to honestly evaluate your performance can open your eyes to something that may be prohibiting you from making a positive impact, like having too flashy of a suit.

With regards to networking, making a few meaningful connections is far more beneficial than making many forgettable ones (although I must still say, something is better than nothing). Creating new ways to form a relationship that is memorable can set you apart. I think it is key to remember that you are connecting with a person, and finding common interests makes the difference it takes to get noticed. Another key to networking is not to be afraid to call upon your network. Like Rob Belloni said in his comment, “to make a good old boy network work, you need to call on the good old boys.”

By: Fred S.

Fred S. — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Like the man in the article who didn’t get the job, it can be frustrating, in these times, putting in all the time and effort into networking and making yourself standout, and it does not pay off. However, growing that network and having the contacts will eventually pay off in ways you wouldn’t even expect. I found that when I was racing bicycles, my network was huge. Networking through common interests outside of work can do wonders. I found that bicycling in the Silicon Valley is like the new golf for top management. Living and riding there while I was in high school, I met loads of business executives. I worked at a bike shop on University Avenue near Stanford where some notable person would come in and buy a $7000 bicycle almost every week. I regret not networking with these folks. However I was a young poor bike racer at the time and thought most these guys were douche bags. Who are these fat guys buying $7000 bicycles that barely know how to ride?! Well, 10 years later now, they may be my future boss. Maybe I should head back to the shop to do some networking!

By: Jeffrey Brown

Jeffrey Brown — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:43:22 +0000

Networking is just another facet of building your personal marketing campaign. The more people that recognize your “brand” the more likely it is that potential employers will be willing to give you a chance.

One point that stood out to me in the WSJ article was the advice on seeking anonymous feedback through the internet from your network. I have never had anyone ask me to submit feedback for them before, but it is an interesting idea. One of the caveats to this strategy is you must have already built up a network of enough people who know you well enough to get some valuable feedback.

The Chinese seem to value their network to a great extent. The way business cards are exchanged only exemplifies this in their culture and I believe it is definitely something we can learn from.

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:50:13 +0000

I wholly agree that networking is important. I have a friend who is a Cal Poly grad who owns a structural engineering company here in SLO. He admits he is not that great of an engineer, but he is still in business after the downturn. Why? Because we call him the Kevin Bacon of the central coast. If you do not know him, you know someone who does. Its amazing how much business he generates through his network. It has been a lesson to me in how important it is.
I know the theme of the article makes it seem like networking is less important in SLO town, but I think it is more important to network in a small town. If you plan to stay local, it is imperative to network. I have improved, but plan to do better.

By: Charles Dornbush

Charles Dornbush — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:56:30 +0000

One of my biggest goals of this year at Cal Poly was to network better and more effectively. This was one of my biggest personal weaknesses as an undergrad at Cal Poly for a number of reasons. I think part of it was the attitude of the campus and of me personally. Another part that transferring here as a junior caused me to miss two years of networking and I was behind from the get-go. I wish OCOB would make it a larger priority of theirs to teach students to network, I think a required undergrad class focusing on “soft skills” like interviewing and networking would be very helpful to the student body.

Dr. Carr’s Effective Communications class was a great start to the year because he implanted in all of us that networking was very important from day one. The class helped me become more confident in presentations and interviews. I would strongly suggest all MBAs to take it. Part of the struggle since that class has been to continually network aggressively and stay motivated. Although I have already learned much about networking, I still consider it an are for improvement.

By: Vladimir

Vladimir — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:45:45 +0000

I haven’t put enough time and effort into networking . I found none of my past jobs through networking, with the exception of one internal opportunity. I’ve known about the importance of networking for a long time, and years ago I read It’s Who You Know: The Magic of Networking by Cynthia Chin-Lee. I really need to make it a habit. I need to see more interactions as networking opportunities.

After reading the part in the article about “the software-development manager asked nearly two dozen present and past colleagues to tout his abilities. ‘Even one sentence will help!’ he assured them”, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see this person’s behavior described as being too pushy. But the article framed it as effective behavior. The article doesn’t mention what relationships he had with the colleagues, however. It also doesn’t talk about maintaining contact with your connections. Would you be more likely to help someone you interact with every now and then or someone who hasn’t contacted you in years and is only interested in what you can do for them right now? The article would have been more useful to its readers if it discussed the psychology of networking - How you come across so people you don’t know well want to help you, asking for help yet not seeming pushy.

By: Georgia

Georgia — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 04:42:22 +0000

Networking is a tricky game. In this job market it is very important to be creative in how you promote yourself, without appearing creepy or undesirable. Graduating from college is not enough to set yourself apart. Growing up in SLO I am used to having to go against the grain to push myself. It is very easy to become lax when you can go to the beach practically year-round. I have always tried to be aware of who I am going to meet with, which I learned the hard way. My freshman year I met with a professor who also ran a company to talk about what path I wanted to take. He asked me if I had visited his company’s website and I had to force out a “no.” He chastised me for not being prepared, and it has stuck with me ever since. It is important to always be ready to promote a positive image of yourself, because you never know who you might ask for help later on the road. I am excited to see how the Chinese style of networking is different from the United States and how I can incorporate it into my style.

By: Kevin K.

Kevin K. — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:50:24 +0000

As we did learn in the summer Communication for Managers course, networking is huge. And its not just how you network, it’s really how you market yourself toward others. Whether that be in an email, business card, or conversation with a friend and colleague, it really can be a 24/7 job. This is also something that I need to work on personally; I have no problems talking to people and getting acquainted, but to truly network and stay in contact with someone is something I need to improve on.

The WSJ article was great on letting you know that the little things really do count, and can turn someone off to hiring you or considering you as a professional (no more purple pantsuits for me…). But honestly, this China trip offers a wealth of opportunities in the networking department and should be practiced and not overlooked before getting on the plane. Now, to get cracking on some serious business cards…