Career Tip: Get Out and Do Things. With People.

Get Out and Do Things. With People. By Sarah Streit, Assistant Director, Dartmouth College Career Services

Yes, networking is really that simple. There doesn't need to be a perfect "networking" formula to follow. Simply, just get out there and chat with people.

Setting up informational interviews is a great way to gain knowledge on various occupations, researching graduate programs, and network with professionals. With this approach you will want to have more of a "professional" style. You will want to go prepared with a few questions, keeping in mind the goal of what you would like to get out of this interview. For a list of great questions, and guide on networking, visit: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~csrc/pdfs/networking.pdf.

Networking doesn't have to be that formal. It can be chatting it up with someone next to you on a plane, striking up a conversation while in line at a coffee shop, talking to friends' parents when they visit. Don’t worry, there's no neon sign above your head blinking "Beware: Networker on the prowl". It's casual, it's simple, it's networking!

How to Network: Get Out and Do Things. With People. is a fun quick read on this phenomenon we call Networking. "Whatever you hope to get out of networking—mentoring, referrals, clients, friends—here is the only real formula: Get out and do things. With people."