NJIT’s Career Development Services (CDS) held an event on Wednesday to give aspiring career seekers advice. The event, which was named the “Networking Mixer”, taught job hunters the basics of how to interact with employers and colleagues at events in order to effectively establish a network of contacts that would help them find a career.

The event consisted of networking activities geared to tutoring those in attendance on how to approach people and spread contact information. Their main points were as follows.

Give a firm, but not too strong handshake to people that you meet.

Have available a career/business card which can inform people and employers of your skillset.

Give and take contact information.

Also given was advice on how to behave at functions where recruitment is possible:

Networking Model – Know someone that has a position that you are interested in filling. Get to know the position, then eventually become an ideal candidate for that and similar positions.

First Impressions – First impressions are very important to employers. No employer would want to hire someone that looks and acts in an unprofessional manner.

Act Like You Belong – Be confident where you are, and be competitive. This goes a long way in the eyes of employees seeking to hire competent people.

Body language – Other than the handshake, do not inappropriately touch people (ie, shoulders, waist), unless it is a personal friend; stature must be kept at a professional level.

Work the Crowd- You will not have an effective network if you do not adequately spread and take information. Make it a point to reach a certain quota at each event you go to.

The event was attended by a moderate crowd of people, the majority of which were upperclassmen or students in their final year. CDS often holds seminars and events such as this and Resumania for the student body in order to educate them and provide an easier entry into the competitive job market. The events are held at least once a week and are completely free for students and even alumni.

Stephen Chan