Networking — you either love it or you hate it, right?  Most people I talk to would go with the latter, and I can see the color drain from their faces and glazed looks appear when I bring it up. And just to be clear, I’m referring to professional, business-minded networking — connecting with people, not computer networking.

Why are most people less than excited when it comes to professional networking? Possibly because they aren’t prepared or looking in the right places.

The good news?  Networking does not mean talking to hundreds of strangers at an event, asking for favors or putting pressure on people. A bit more good news: Your network is easily your most powerful tool.

So if you aren’t looking to find a job, learn something new or meet more people, then by all means avoid networking. But if you want to increase your chances of connecting with others who are similar to you or want to expand your job search, then read on to see how networking can be less scary and more valuable to you.

The most important thing you can do for yourself when it comes to networking is to do it in the right places.  Let me give you a quick hint: Your 500-plus Facebook friends might not be the right place. My suggestion, if you are looking to increase your networking contacts, is to get involved in a professional association in your specific area of interest. If you are interested in marketing and advertising, look into organizations like the American Marketing Association or American Advertising Federation. If you like human resources, check out the Society for Human Resources.  Most, if not all, states have local chapters that meet on a regular basis and have job boards on their Web sites. More importantly, they will have a list of executive board members. These are individuals who work in fields in which you want to work. Connect with them. It’s likely they will be able to assist you in your career search. 

Here is an example of what you might say:

“My name is [your name], and I am a student at Iowa State University majoring in [marketing, for example]. I found your name on the American Marketing Association Web site. I’m very interested in advertising and public relations and knew this would be a good group to talk with regarding this industry. I know what I want to do and how, but simply need to understand where to best look for opportunities in [job interest]. Could we visit this week to discuss this in more detail?”

Before you attend a networking event — a meeting, a dinner or any kind of gathering — you will need a plan. As with anything in life, the better prepared you are, the likelier you are to be successful.

With whom will you talk? How do you work up the courage to talk to a stranger? Knowing what you want to do and what you bring to the table will be essential to your success. Any time I know I’m attending a professional association meeting or a conference, I ask for a list of attendees. This gives me a chance to see who is coming and whom I might want to talk with in advance.

Introducing yourself will be essential to your success in networking. Not knowing what to say and how to say it can be a major reason why some fail. You need to have an elevator speech that describes where you have been, why people should be interested in you and, more importantly, why you are interested in speaking to them.

Once the networking begins, there are some questions you can ask to help build the relationship and carry out the conversation. Here are the types of questions that are appropriate when networking for opportunities: What do you think about my resume and introduction? Where do you think I might source the best opportunities? Are there others in the industry you think might be good resources?

Track your progress and follow up. As you move along in the networking process, make sure you track with whom you speak, when you spoke to them and the results from that meeting: information gained, connections made, etc. The process of networking really begins long before you actually need it. If you are looking for a full-time job when you graduate in May, now is the time to network and build your contacts. Don’t be afraid to continue conversations with people after they tell you they don’t currently have a vacancy. You never know when that can change or who is in their network.

Networking is a vital part of a successful job search and can assist you in your current job search, as well as lead to new opportunities down the road. This week I challenge you to seek out at least one person whom you don’t already know. You never know what could happen.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to networking and job searching success strategies. For information on all career-related information and events happening on the ISU campus, please contact the Career Services office for your college. A listing of the individual offices can be found at:

http://www.career.iastate.edu/

Tammy Stegman is a career coordinator in the College of Business Career Services office at Iowa State University.