10 Valuable Networking Tips

If you clicked on this article, you might be learning how to become more of a professional and trying to find a job to enter the professional world. It is never too late or too early to network. Networking is not always about establishing relationships will help you get a job. Networking helps you establish meaningful relationships you will be able to take with you for years to come.

As you connect with others, remember these tips I will outline. These tips were acquired through good and bad experiences I had when making connections with others.

 

Tip #1: If you do not have a business card, get one.Your business card can list your name, contact, school and major. This card is for people to remember you by and to contact you.

Tip #2: Do not ask for business cards unless you plan to follow up with them. The follow up is the most important step when making connections at a networking event.

Tip #3:  Brainstorm the qualities that set you a part from thousands of other students and professionals going for the same job. This is great for you to think about since that is a main question in an interview.

Tip #4: Do some research on various companies, industries and organizations. Use this to keep up to date on business, local and international news. This will set you apart and impress people as you show you have an interest.

Tip #5: Focus your networking efforts on how you can help others. By building relationships around helping others you help show your character and that you are not just seeking something from them. This simple gesture creates good value in your relationship going beyond looking for a job. You can achieve this by asking if there is anything you can do to help them, or what is the perfect customer or target market for them so that you can use your other contacts to connect people who might mutually benefit. Do not worry about landing the perfect job because networking has a way of coming back around.

Tip #6: Try to keep the conversation simple when meeting someone new. Introduce yourself and then follow up with a question that is about them.

Tip #7: Have a brief about yourself ready to be said.Most of the time people like to include who they are and what they study. I like to gear towards my individuality as a person. Feel the conversation out and base your introduction of yourself based off of what is asked or what is said. Here is a classic line of mine, “My name is Jane Doe. I am pursuing a major in mass communications broadcasting with a double minor in criminology and international relations. I am the public relations director for my university PRSSA. A student with many names, I am not defined by the titles I hold but instead by the characters I posses.”

Tip #8: Continue to ask questions.

Tip #9: When you are out networking, never meet someone and ask for a job or ask if they are hiring.Instead, it is important to seek information, learn from the person, and come up with ways to help them. If you are really looking for something, ask something like, “Do you know who I should talk to in order to learn opportunities with your company?”

Tip #10: Network with everyone.This includes other students and all levels of professionals. Even if a professional is not in the industry that you are interested in, you never know where you will be, or where they will be five years from now or who they know or are related to.

Networking provides great opportunities to connect with professionals all around. Be proactive in getting to different events, ask questions and be sure to follow up. The more you network, the more opportunities will come your way, and the more people you would know to help you and connect you with others in the future. There are never a lot of students at networking event, which already sets you a part. Expand on your opportunities!

 Said with love,

Charlene Alexander is a Professional and Relationships Writer, Social Media, and Special Events Intern at College Lifestyles ™. Charlene is a Mass Communications Undergraduate at University of South Florida. Miss Alexander is an analogue girl in a digital world who enjoys writing

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4 Steps to Take After the Internship

        The closing of your internship is the most vital part of the entire process. With the help of Internqueen, there are four tasks to complete two weeks before the final day: ask for a letter of recommendation, update your resume, purchase thank -you cards, and evaluate your time spent at the job.

        Asking for a letter of recommendation is a normal request so do not feel intimidated. When I needed a letter of recommendation, I asked my employer directly. It is good to ask your employer what you need in the same form of communication you think that they will prefer (i.e. email, phone, snail mail).

        Below are some lines you might want to add in asking for a letter of recommendation:

* “My internship is coming to an end and I wanted to ask you for a letter of recommendation.”

* “I know you might be busy so I wanted to ask ahead of time.”

* “I appreciate your support and guidance.”

Working On Your Resume

Add your recent experience to the top of the resume under experiences. Use the information from your task list to describe your experience. Highlight four skills you feel will benefit you in your next position. These four skills can be displayed in bullet points or sentences.

Not only should had written notes be used after an interview, it should also be used after an internship. Thank- you notes is a great way to show your gratitude for what has been shown to you on the job. Thank-you notes help to keep the line of communication open that brings benefits to the employer and yourself. The employer can use the written thank-you note in the company portfolio as an accomplishment of making a difference. The thank-you note can remain short but include all employers,  internship coordinators and other contacts you might remember. Everyone in your contact list should be kept in an Excel spread sheet. Use this excel list to determine who to send thank-you notes to.  Attempt to make the thank-you note personal. Here are two examples of thank-you notes I did when leaving a public relations internship for a law firm:

Dana,

I wanted to thank you so much for an amazing winter internship at Blick Law Firm. The tasks I learned, relationships I built, and goals I accomplished are priceless as I will carry the lesson learned at Blick Law Firm for life. I can not believe how much I learned about the importance of blogging, the constant change in laws and how they effect clients, as well as executing media campaign and strategies to assist in gaining awareness of the firm through traditional advertising.

Being a part of the team at Blick Law Firm was my first public relations internship that I will never forget.

Thank you for always taking the extra time to make sure I understood each assignment and constantly providing helpful feedback. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Charlene Alexander

Glenda,

Thank you so much for making my winter internship at Blick Law Firm a welcoming experience. I am thrilled that Blick Law Firm has allowed me to build a relationship with you. Through my internship at Blick Law Firm , I have learned a great amount.

Thank you for always wearing a smile and remaining helpful even in the most stressful situations in the office. Your kindness has gone a long way in allowing me to never forget about you. You took the extra time to assure I understood any task I asked you of. Please stay in touch.

Best,

Charlene Alexander

        Use these two examples as a guide to writing your thank-you note for your employer. Individually mail the notes to each person; never hand them out or put them on the desk to be read by you. Have you finished your internship two months ago or more? Still send in a thank-you card. Now that you know how important this is, make it a habit.

Evaluate What You Want

Now is the time to evaluate what you want. Think about what you want your next step to be.  Are you interning with a company that has a high rate of turnover to offer you a job? Do you want to connect with professionals that your boss knows? These are two questions that Lauren Berger, Internqueen CEO, encourages to ask when completing an internship. Plan a day to grab lunch or coffee to reach out and discuss your future plans. Lauren Berger gives an example of how the email should look when requesting such a lunch date:

Hi Lisa,

Our time together is coming to an end! I cannot believe how this internship has flown by. I wanted to reach and see if we could get together to grab coffee at some point over the next two weeks. I’d love to hear more about how you got started and get advice.

Please let me know when you might be available.

Best,

(your name)

How To Stay in Touch

Now that the thank-you note has been sent, it is time to learn how to stay in touch.

Touch base with the employer once per semester. Use this guide to contact the employer once in the fall, summer and spring. Labor Day is a good time to say hello and ask if your employer has been on any interesting trips. After the New Year, check to see how their holiday went.  In June, wish your employer a great summer and amazing summer internship. The employer birthday is a great time to send notes.

You do not want to reach out to someone when you need something. The goal is to ask yourself the following question, “ What can I bring to the table?” Share valuable information that they might want to know. This can be information that is in media news clips. It is important to build a two way relationship. Keep in mind that you no longer work for your employer. Do not go out looking for news but If you scan across valuable information for them, do not hesitate to share.

It is important not to “friend” your employer on any social media unless you have established a relationship outside of the office or if they initiate it. Add them to your LinkedIn profile to show that you have connected with them on a professional level.

If your internship does not lead to a job- it’s okay. Use these tips to network correctly and get the most out of your relationships.

 Said with love,

Charlene Alexander is a Professional and Relationships Writer, Social Media, and Special Events Intern at College Lifestyles ™. Charlene is a Mass Communications Undergraduate at University of South Florida. Miss Alexander is an analogue girl in a digital world who enjoys writing.

 

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Introducing Janet Palmer: Your Personal Chef

Chef Janet Palmer, Of Magical Meals is one of Tampa’s most popular Personal Chefs, talks with College Lifestyles about her favorite meal, nutrition tips and gives an insight into her life as a personal chef. A native from New York City, Chef Janet makes it no surprise that she has learned from the best of popular television shows. Prior to being a personal chef, she pursued another career and decided to continue down the path of her passion: helping others lives a healthy life of eating.

Chef Janet, with a wonderful spirit, served a demonstration of The Fresh Market recipes.  College Lifestyles conducted this interview during Chef Janet’s lunch service at a local Tampa, Florida market place. Chef Janet shares her favorite recipes and quick tips to our readers.

CL: Can you explain what you made today?

JP: I made a butternut squash apple and tortellini soup. It’s made with The Fresh Market already prepared butternut squash and apple soup. I added a chopped apple, a jalapeño, some fresh sage, chopped up pancetta, fried it all up, removed the fresh sage, combined the soup, apple, and tortellini and dinner is complete!

CL: Okay, thank you! What is your favorite meal you enjoy cooking?

JP: My favorite meal?

CL: Yes.

JP: Oh! Let me guess pasta (laughing).

CL: (laughing) Okay.

JP: But rice pasta, not the white pasta because I choose to be eating healthier food.

CL: College Lifestyles has a column for nutrition, do you have a good nutrition tip?

JP: Hold on please (Serves a few customers-with smiling faces- her prepared dish). My nutrition tip is to try to stay away from all processed foods. Everything you need is on the outside aisles which are all fresh. milk, dairy, bread, fruits and vegetables; don’t go down the aisles.

CL: (In amazement) so never go inside?

JP: Nope. Don’t go down the aisles.

CL: Oh wow! Okay. I never noticed that!

JP: If you want to eat healthy, stay away from processed foods.

CL: Okay. Good tip for me! Please walk me through your world as a personal chef.

JP: My world as a personal chef is: I usually cook for private clients; I do dinner parties, romantic dinners for two, and basically I do the meal planning with the clients; the food shopping; the preparation if they have special dietary needs. Like if they are diabetic, or they have allergies or if they need gluten free. I work with their nutritionist, their doctors, their personal trainers so that we all have a comprehensive package to help everybody achieve the goals they want.

CL: Oh!! (In more amazement) I like that!

JP: I also work with a nutritionist. We collaborate back and forth to help people.

CL: That’s great! Where are you from?

JP: I am originally from New York.

CL: New York! What brought you down here?

JP: I don’t want to shovel snow! (Laughing)  I’m so over it.

CL: (Laughing) Yea, I think its cold right now over there. What college or university did you graduate from?

JP:  Well I am not culinary trained. (Helps another customer, with a smiling face).  I am what they call a personal chef who has been in cooking their whole life so basically, I learn from the masters watching TV. I was going to be a home economics teacher way back when but then I decided I can make more money building airplane cockpits simulators for the government and I did that for many years. Now I’m back to my passion of helping people eat better who are too busy to cook for themselves and they want to get off that dinning out routine. That was my whole purpose: to help people.

CL: How many people do you normally serve a day?

JP: I only do one client a day. On the weekends I’m either doing dinner parties, food demonstration, cooking classes or at networking events. All kinds of things! My weekend is very diverse.

CL: What is your message to those who are inspired by food?

JP: Eat well, be happy, and share it with family and friends.

CL: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions!

JP: You’re very welcome!                

 

 Said with love,

Charlene Alexander is a Professional and Relationships Writer, Social Media, and Special Events Intern at College Lifestyles ™. Charlene is a Mass Communications Undergraduate at University of South Florida. Miss Alexander is an analogue girl in a digital world who enjoys writing

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5 Must Have Smartphone Applications for School

    You might recognize the feeling of being overwhelmed as class begins to pick up while you are still finding ways to study. Unfortunately when busy, our body does the natural act of cutting out what we need the most in order to complete the tasks: Sleep.

Through the help of friends and market exploring on my smartphone, I have found five free applications that will allow one to perform effectively with the help of time management.

• My Homework Application: This application does a great job at keeping school responsibilities organized from the smartphone. This application allows you to keep track of assignments by adding due dates, upcoming test assignments, and listing all of your classes, times, and days. This application comes with an alarm that you can set, letting you know when an assignment should be completed. The notification feature on this application is the best part. Allow your phone to do the work for you. Do not allow your brain to be more crowded with due dates than what it already is.

• Sparky Application Review: The Sparky application allows you to look up literature in SparkNotes. With the help of SparkNotes, obtain detailed descriptions on motifs, character analysis, and plot summaries.

•  Merriam Webster Dictionary Application: Use this application to improve your vocabulary and challenge yourself on what you thought you knew. With this application take a look at the daily word which is also given with a detailed description on the history of the word.

•  Dictionary Application: Although this application serves the same purpose of the above application, together they complement one another. The Dictionary application also has words of the day but includes “The Hot Word” and “Question of the day.”

• Voice Recorder: Use this to record lectures or notes that you might not want to waist a whole paper on. With this application you are able to transfer recorded date to and from your computer.

Use these applications to enhance the way you obtain knowledge

  Said with love,

Charlene Alexander is a Professional and Relationships Writer, Social Media, and Special Events Intern at College Lifestyles ™. Charlene is a Mass Communications Undergraduate at University of South Florida. Miss Alexander is an analogue girl in a digital world who enjoys writing.

Ways to Plan Out Your Day: Clutter Free

Many of you have headed back to school this week anticipating the long study hours and “sleepless nights”. This spring semester is a new opportunity to stop the bad habit of  procrastination. Procrastination comes in many forms with excuses ranging from what others know to be procrastination, to what you have programmed in your mind to think about yourself. The number one cure for procrastination is planning out your time and being organized. Allow me to assist you!

It is not difficult to keep a to-do-list or planner of tasks, responsibilities and personal goals, but it can be difficult if they are not used as should. In order to see the effectiveness of your to-do-list, consider these steps:

The first tip is to keep three planners with attached calendars. Did your eyes stretch wide when you read that last sentence? I had the same response when I realized how three planners helped me to achieve my important goals. As an organized young professional, it is important to know what duties lay ahead and keep to them. A planner should be kept for every huge sector of your life. This strategy can be instrumental if you are planning a college transfer which takes a high level of organization.

Planner number one should be kept for all school work. For all of your classes this semester, look through the syllabus and transfer all of the information from the syllabus onto the calendar. This should include exam dates, and due homework assignments. Make sure to specify what class the work is for. For example, One of my classes are entitled “China Today”. In my school planner you would find on the date of February 20, 2012 “China Today: Midterm exam 1”. If the class title is too long, make a shorter name.  Organizing your school work is giving you a head start on breaking procrastination. With this organized school calendar, you can see the due assignments with a flip of the calendar booklet.

With planner one, school work, do not fail to make a to-do-list. If the calendar organizer you brought has paper for a to-do-list to be attached, this is great! Your to-do-list should be composed of weekly tasks. Keep in mind that this to-do-list is only for school. DO NOT mix in any extra curricular activities. We will get to that later in the article. An example of the to-do-list will be the following:

To-Do-List

Read chapters 1-3 for China Today (2)

Watch Assigned Youtube Videos for International Wealth and Power (3)

Pick group topic for Wednesday’s class- American Foreign Policy (1)

This is just an example. You can also mark, next to the items on your to-do-list, what items you will complete first. I have shown you in the above to-do-list example.

Planner number two should keep all work/intern responsibilities. For this calendar include your work schedule and/ or intern due dates for particular assignments. This keeps me very organized while interning for College Lifestyles!  Also include a to-list-do to go with this calendar of work/intern responsibilities. The to-do-list should be the same  as the to-do-list used in the school work planner. It should be composed of weekly assignments numbered the way they will be completed. Again, do not mix other information that does not have to do with your work and/or internship into this to-do-list or calendar. If you do not have an internship, please stay tuned for latter articles I post.

Planner number three should be used for clubs and organizations. As a young professional, being involved on campus is the prime way to network and to be noticed by other young professionals. In this calendar include meeting times, locations, and  be specific on what organization the meeting is for. Do not fail to include a to-do-list. This is important especially if office positions are held. As an officer of an organization, staying organized is the best thing to do. This planner for organizations can also be mixed with personal tasks. Personal tasks can include going to your sister’s baby shower, getting your nails done, or making a specific date to go grocery shopping. A to-do-list for something like this might include a personal facial time!

Lastly, keep important times entered into your phone to remind you of important events that require time notice. If your sister’s baby shower starts at three in the afternoon, do not plan to meet up with someone at two in the afternoon for something totally different. Although you are learning how to be more organized this semester with separating different sectors of life, it is pivotal to also learn that it is okay to have gaps in your schedule. Use those gaps for study time or my personal favorite, “Me Time”!

This article gives great ways to stay organized. Remaining structured is the key to ending procrastination as a bad habit. Through experience, I have learned that separating sectors of my life is the best way to remain organized and I am sure you will find comfort in this technique. I never try to mix personal with business, and through this I have remained healthy relationships with those who I would have risked it with being too consumed on one sector of my life. Be more organized, and find yourself having more time! <3

Said with love,

Charlene Alexander is a Professional and Relationships Writer, Social Media, and Special Events Intern at College Lifestyles ™. Charlene is a Mass Communications Undergraduate at University of South Florida. Miss Alexander is an analogue girl in a digital world who enjoys writing.

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Yours Truly, Charlene

Name:

Charlene Alexander

 

School:

University of South Florida

 

Major:

Mass Communications Broadcasting News/ Public Relations

                                                                                                                                             

Minor:

International Relations/ Criminology

 

Year in studies:

Junior

 

I have been with College Lifestyles since:

January 1, 2012!

 

Greek Affiliation: 

Co-ed fraternity of Phi Alpha Delta!

 

Organizational Involvement:

Close Knit

Pre-Law Society

Debate Team

Women Society of Excellence

African Student Association

Caribbean Cultural Exchange

Student Government Association

Creative Writers Club

Advocates at USF

NAACP USF Chapter

International Business Board

Mock Trail Club

PRSSA

STAND

 

Pets:

I am a proud mother/owner of a soft shell turtle by the name of Speedy.

 

My friends say I am:

Eclectic. Eccentric. Electriccc. ♥

Astrological sign:

Gemini

 

My personal style:

Professional dress is my personal style but I am known to mix up different styles  into one. Depending where I am, you might catch me with a simple black dress with a pair of boots, hair flower, and an Ethiopian color bag J

 

Favorite clothing stores:

I can not say I have a favorite clothing store since I buy my clothes piece from different places. I do love Ross.

 

Favorite movie:

The Lion King

 

Favorite book/author:

The Isis Papers by Francis Cress Welsing. I study racism at the University of South Florida and this book is the “racism bible!”  Definition of bible (lowercase): any book, reference work, periodical, etc., accepted as authoritative, informative, or reliable

 

Favorite quote: “Always learn poems by heart. They have to become the marrow in your bones. Like fluoride in the water, they’ll make your soul impervious to the world’s soft decay“- Janet Fitch. I write poetry so this is the best quote yet.

 

My screensaver is:

A picture of the galactic formations in space. I am infatuated with the unexplainable.

 

On my IPod you will find:

Neo-Soul artists such as Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Common, India Arie, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, and Musiq Soulchild. You will also find smooth jazz with artists such as Dave Koz, Paul Hardcastle, and Boney James. Neo-Soul and Smooth Jazz are my musical inspirations!

 

Must have beauty product:

Shea Butter. Found in particular regions of Africa, Shea Butter can be used on hair and all skin types to maintain perfect moisture and definition to curls!

 

I have a slight obsession with:

Time Watch pieces! Most people don’t notice

 

 

I dislike:

Negativity being spoken into my realm of being.

 

Last movie I watched:

Rush Hour 2

 

Last book I read: 

The Isis Papers by Frances Cress Welsing. I love that book so I tend to read it over and over. I grasp more information every time I read it.

 

My definition of a classy co-ed:

I see the final definition of the word classy as not really being the only “final” definition. Classy is defined in different ways by almost every individual. People use the word classy to define  restaurants,  cars, clothes, and even hairstyles. For the sake of this question, I shall define  a classy co-ed in the way I see the word best fit J

I see the word as classy coming from the word ‘classification’ or ‘classify.’ Its is a genuine, feminine woman who hold herself as being high quality. A classy co-ed sees herself in high esteem regardless of what life circumstances has tried to challenge that. A class woman recognizes that aiming for perfection sets up nothing but failure and understands that it is the things she learns that gets her through life. A classy woman handles, and speaks,  with confidence.

It is hard to know who you are and most time when people are asked the question, “Who are you,” the followed response will be their occupation,  or how they treat others. In this case, a class woman would know that she might not know herself but knows herself to the greatest extinct possible in knowing what she wants to be in all sectors of life.

 

Why I am excited about being an intern with College Lifestyles:

College Lifestyles is a nutrition, lifestyle, and etiquette firm devoted to savvy and responsible co-eds and high school students that I would love to be a part of. Through my goals of becoming a better writer, Public Relations student, and communicator,  I see College Lifestyle as a way for me to gain the perfect experience. Through the knowledge that I have gained through the official website of College Lifestyle, I know that this internship offers experience more exclusive than ’running copies’ and answering phone calls that other sour internship experiences might have showed.  I need a way to showcase my talent and knowledge, as I build my own portfolio.

The team is awesome and it’s a pleasure being a part of something so great!