PSTVA - Plattsburgh State Television Alumni

ABOUT NETWORKING

It has been said that the best jobs come from word of mouth. But that's not stopping the thousands of Americans logging on to websites like careerbuilder.com and monster.com, searching for jobs and posting their resumes. The chance of getting a call back is very slim, especially since the average human resources office today is overloaded with hundreds of resumes from other interested candidates. But with no other apparent resources to find work, many are willing to take their chances. Some even invest in fancy resume paper. Yet how much simpler would it be if you had a friend at the company who could recommend you for the position? An inside source who could lead you to the key hiring powers? A shortcut like that could save you valuable time and money in your job hunt. Experts agree that networking is worth your time and effort and can help you get ahead in the professional world.

Networking is the art of using your contacts to generate other contacts—sort of like “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” In that game, the challenge is to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon in six steps or less. Networking is a lot like that. You need to find a way to connect yourself to your dream job through family, friends, and acquaintances. Knowing somebody who knows the person that you want to hire you can be invaluable, especially if that intermediary can give you a positive recommendation.

But what about networking with other PSTV alumni? Well even if you've never met them before, networking with fellow PSTV alumni can still benefit you greatly. Even if they can't speak on your behalf on a personal level, they can speak highly of the top-notch television education offered at Plattsburgh. They know that a PSTV alumnus received technical and practical training above and beyond that of most other courses offered elsewhere. So go ahead and network with other PSTV alumni, even if you don't know them. Build your network now before you know you need it. One day those connections could change that blind job application into the interview you need to land that great new job.

• PSTV Alumni Group on LinkedIn
• PSTV Alumni Group on Facebook (Social Networking, but still valuable)
• A How-To Guide to Career Networking, from About.com

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