When it comes to getting a job, I think the most overwhelming cliché you will hear is, “it’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Or, a close runner up, “the three keys to business are: networking, networking, and networking.”

Well let me just say: yuck. I have heard that crap so much over the past year that typing it sends a chill down my spine. But, although I loathe the saying, and I hate to say it, the simple fact seems to remain that the first guy, or woman, who said this…is absolutely right. And with new applicants doing most of their job searching online, through endless sites like CareerBuilder, “who you know” may be the only way to actually meet someone face-to-face. If you have an “in” somewhere, it is much easier nowadays to use them as a vessel for employment, rather than beg for a callback from an on-line job board.

So I can’t help but notice a problem arising. What happens if your “social network” could all be fit into a small room? Further, what do you do if your “connections” are non-existent? The truth is I don’t have an answer, but I do have the ability to write to you good people and give you some heads up, so that, later on down the line, you don’t run into this problem.

First of all, check out this article I found about networking: http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/its-not-what-you-know-its-who-you-know . This is a good, quick read that might actually do someone in college a lot of good. It teaches you some key tips in networking; most importantly, getting over the fear of talking to strangers. Also, it advises those who are networking to always find common ground, whether it be big or small, when conversation with a potential business associate is rearing its head. Overall, what this short piece will tell you is to be aggressive, be confident, and if the opportunity presents itself, be a kiss-ass; there’s nothing anyone likes more than being complimented. And trust me, I am about as shy as I am tall (6’4”), and I have about enough self-confidence to fill an egg, but with every social blunder I have made I have learned something from it. I have learned the same thing this article tells me, but the hard way.

Don’t believe in this theory? Well last year, a PhD student at the University of Queensland proved that the effectiveness of social networking is relevant to career success. Furthermore, he studied how “knowledge networks” within a company strengthen its growth, and seemed to come to the conclusion that networking did indeed strengthen the company’s progression.

But even without this study, you can just look around and see the effects of networking everywhere. There’s a reason the kids in fraternities and sororities tend to move on to successful careers. There’s a reason the nerdy kid who spends all his time in Engineering Club gets a great job right out of college. There’s even a reason why the smarter-than-average hipster gets a job doing exactly what he always wanted to do, doing something like working in a record store or making money as an artist. All of these things can be chalked up to…say it with me now…networking. Who you know in college can very well dictate your future. So, the bottom line, get out and meet people on campus, talk to people in class, or join a relevant club; meet whoever you can while you have them all around you.

Sources: http://www.slideshare.net/oscartr/effectsofnetworkingoncareersuccess http://www.physorg.com/news98375254.html http://www.brassmagazine.com/article/its-not-what-you-know-its-who-you-know