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College Students

Basic Networking II: Parent’s Friends

Remember the Johnsons, your parent’s close family friends who have seen you grow up since you first peed in their pool? Did you know that Mr. Johnson is a supervisor at Industrial Super Engineering Co. and Mrs. Johnson is a manager at Nation’s Most Awesome Bank? You know that guy who rides bikes with your dad? He is the CEO of Super Adventure Club, and the really nice woman in your mother’s book club is VP of Human Resources for Giant Newspapers, Inc.

As college students, we are programmed to strike out on our own and live our own life, forgetting about a past with seemingly dorky parental units and their equally dorky friends. However, much like your parents, their friends are not bad people to know. Remember, they probably already like you, so take advantage of another free resource. As stated before, asking for help is essential and not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength. Odds are your parents’ friends will be more than glad to help you out. If not for the sake of friendship alone, then simply because they genuinely feel you are deserving of a chance to impress employers.

Networking is essential in today’s job market. Some say “it’s not what you know but who you know.” There is a lot of truth to that statement, but there is a hidden clause to that. It’s also about who knows you. Someone who has seen you grow up has also seen the obstacles you have come across and how you carry yourself in good and bad situations. They are probably your number one assets outside of your parents. Can they land you the job 100 percent of the time? No, but they can help you get your foot in the door and help you gain that competitive edge.

Need to review? Backtrack to Part I. Ready to move on? Here’s Part III.

Questions? Ideas or suggestions? Follow me on twitter @ChrisComella or email me at [email protected]

Christopher Comella

Christopher earned his BA in Political Science from DePaul University in 2011, and is no stranger to writing and deadlines. One of his greatest assets is to add humor to even the driest of subjects, which is why half of his professors love him and the other half hated his work.

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