Networking in the US for International Students The Wharton School University of Pennsylvania Judy Shen-Filerman, CEO September 24 & 25, 2014 Where Are Networking Opportunities Career Fairs Campus Speaker Alumni One-on-One. All rights reserved. 1
Networking Preparation and Implementation Personal Objective Job and Industry Research Self-Introduction & Personal Story Finding Networking Contacts Setting Up the Meeting Meeting with Your Network Contact Post-Meeting Follow-Up Networking Implementation Personal Objective Job and Industry Search Self-Introduction / Story Finding Networking Contacts Setting Up the Meeting Meeting with Your Network Contact Post-Meeting Follow-Up. All rights reserved. 2
Emailing and Calling Dear Mr. Riley, My name is Arjun Gupta and I m pursuing an MBA with a finance concentration at Wharton Business School. I am contacting you to learn more about career paths in new venture investments. I learned about you through the alumni office and have been very impressed by your career accomplishments. Prior to my studies, I was a manufacturing process engineer, with a strong quantitative and analytical background. I ve always enjoyed building complex models as a means for imagining what s possible. I m excited about modeling and analyzing new ventures because of its criticality in optimizing investments decisions that can have high market impact. I ve enjoyed both the technical and strategic aspects of venture investments. I hope to have an opportunity to speak with you in the next couple of weeks, at a time most convenient for you. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Sincerely, Arjun Gupta Expect to Follow Up And It s Expected by Contacts 1. Email about your interest in job / internship, attach your resume 2. Alert them through a VM, left early or late in day (but be ready to talk if they pick up!) 3. Wait 5 days, then repeat steps 1 & 2 4. Repeat cycle 3 times, then quit for a month 5. After a month, try steps 1,2,3. If nothing, then drop. All rights reserved. 3
Be Ready to Pitch at All Times My name is Arjun Gupta and I m a first year MBA at Wharton Business School. I learned about you through the alumni office and have been very impressed by your career accomplishments. I ve just sent you an email as I hope we can find a time to meet. Would this be a good time to talk briefly? NO - Whom may I contact to set up time with you? YES How much time do you have this morning? Go into your story, questions, ask Networking Implementation Personal Objective Job and Industry Search Self-Introduction & Personal Story Finding Networking Contacts Setting Up the Meeting Meeting with Your Network Contact Post-Meeting Follow-Up. All rights reserved. 4
Meeting with Your Contact Arrive early Dress professionally (dressing and grooming) Be ready with small talk Observe the environment Observe what is showcased in his/her office Directing the Conversation Key Phases Engage Ask See-saw End Meet & Greet Small Talk Learning Closing Opening Showcasing Asking - Your Key Selling Points - Your Questions - The Ask. All rights reserved. 5
What is Small Talk? A short, transitional dialogue in which you share your point of view about a topic in a light, no-too-deep manner to establish a relationship or bridge to the main event Your Turn Each identify 1. Position you are interested in 2. Who is your networking contact (position / company) Role Play ENGAGE / ASK Engage Ask See-saw End - How can I help you? - Tell me something about yourself. Small Talk Opening - Traveling there - Weather - Location - Building Design - Enjoying classes. All rights reserved. 6
See-saw Learning I m very interested to learn how you chose this career and how it developed over the years and I welcome your thoughts on how I can successfully enter / grow in this profession and what are specific ways I can further develop See-saw Showcase Connect to what your contact has been saying Their Questions Why are you interested in this industry? What relevant classes have you taken? What do you think are the big issues we re facing? Your Questions You mentioned do you think that Why has this career been a good fit for you? Highlights? Challenges? Parallel Selling Similar to you I agree with what you were saying about I ve also been very fascinated by. All rights reserved. 7
See-saw Asking This can happen during your Learning / Showcasing Phases Reinforce your interest in this career I ve really enjoyed learning about - What is your advice for someone like me who is entering this career, given my background? -Are there others I could speak to, to learn more about their career development See-saw End Summarize what you learned Express your gratitude End gracefully handshake Thank you very much for your time. I look forward to staying in touch. All rights reserved. 8
Critical Steps to Successful Networking Personal Objective Job and Industry Search Self-Introduction / Story Finding Networking Contacts Setting Up the Meeting Meeting with Your Contact Post-Meeting Follow-Up Dear Jim, Thank You Follow-ups Thank you very much for taking the time to meet with me yesterday. I learned a great deal about this industry and career and particularly enjoyed hearing about your career path. Our conversation reinforced my strong interest in venture financing. The initiative you mentioned, requiring global perspectives and innovation, really connected with my interest in using modeling as a means to innovation and my international background. I look forward to speaking with the colleagues whose names you provided. Thank you again for your time and counsel. I look forward to keeping in touch as the year progresses. Sincerely, Arjun Gupta. All rights reserved. 9
Strategies to Stay Connected When you ve taken action on the advice Emailing a related article / case of interest to contact Interview Interest (Spring) When you ve talked to a contact that was referred Holiday / New Year Cards 5 persons Networking Results Take Time 3 6 9 months 1 person. All rights reserved. 10
Key Takeaways Networking = high ROI Story > List of activities Research contact = better connection Navigate with EASE Follow up Success = vision tenacity taking rejections trying again judy@dreambridgepartners.com www.dreambridgepartners.com/internationalstudent-resources. All rights reserved. 11