How to: Become a Campus Networker, Part 1
This is Part 1 in a series on college networking on campus. I am going to cover a few tactics that you – the student entrepreneur – can go about networking with your fellow classmates.
It’s very important for the student entrepreneur to be constantly networking in any and all places, especially at relationship breeding grounds such as college.
The Dreaded Elevator Ride
So it’s just you and some other dude/gal in the elevator and there are 10 flights left before you reach your floor…the mood’s awkward and both of your heads are faced toward the ground…
Yeah, yeah… we’ve all been victims of the elevator-silence-awkward-moment session. But enough of that, it’s time to pull your head up and reach out to someone new. So the next time you’re in an elevator and don’t know the person standing across from you, be the bold entrepreneur and extend your hand to introduce yourself. Have no fear.
Seize this every minute; what you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Make it a habit to do this at least once a week; heck, do it every time you’re in an elevator and before you know it, you’ll have met a ton of new people that you would originally have never spoken to.
While in college after getting some munch in the cafeteria every night before bed and heading up into my dorm, I always made sure to spark a conversation with the person standing next to me on the ride up 15 stories. In those few moments of time, I have gotten to know more students than ever before.
By the end of the semester my instant messenger and address book was packed with new contacts.
Getting Involved
Another awesome way to network with other students is to start a club. Why not start an entrepreneurship club at your school? And if they already have one, simply start something more focused, say, on your favorite area of business, e.g., marketing, investing, or accounting.
Starting a club at school will open you up to a world of new contacts. It’s like laying a bowl of food down to a hungry pack of dogs — they’ll all come charging to eat.
There are always other business savvy students out there who are hungry to just sit down and talk business, share ideas, and brainstorm, but they just can’t find the right people. Your entrepreneurship club would be the perfect solution!
Stay tuned for part 2 when I talk about “party” networking.
Having been very very active on campus through student organizations has done wonders for my peer network. Facebook really helps in maintaining these contacts too!