Network with Young Professionals
When you start networking with school alumni or other professionals, many times people will tell you that is best to speak with people in senior or manager roles. Individuals in higher positions tend to have more experience in the field as well as more influence in the hiring process of a company, versus a new higher or an intern. However, if you look at your network right now, it is mostly comprised of young professionals since these are the people you are meeting in college. This network of young professionals is more advantageous than we realize.
For instance, alumni who have recently graduated just experienced what the current hiring process and job search is all about. When asking for advice they are the ones that are better equipped to guide you through the ropes since they just got out of it. Recent graduates can relate with what you are going through and give you specific pointers to the current state of the job market and your education.
Young professionals can also help you out in getting to know the culture of a company. By being in the same generation you share certain values, thus their judgement of a company from the inside can be beneficial not only to your application process but to weather you want to be part of that work force.
Finally, the insiders scoop is more valuable than anything. Closer friends and colleagues that are in a company can provide you with the inside scoop of what departments are hiring, who to contact and even the name of the hiring manager for your position. It doesn’t matter if they have no influence in the hiring process, but they can give you valuable information that only someone working in the organization can give you.
From now on I encourage you to network and use your friends and other young professionals you might be connected with. Their advice is more valuable in the current job market than anybody else’s.