Why networking?
Why not just only talk to people I know well or close friends?
Because it is a different communication method between talking to close friends and strangers.
Your friends know you. And you know them. You don’t need small talk with friends. Most importantly, you only have less than 10 of them. It is too little too late to make so many close friends help you find jobs.
So, we need to network with strangers.
Let me share my networking way to now. Hopefully, you learn at least one thing to help you fast track your way to network with everyone.
My name is Rax, I am currently working in Manulife Asset Liability Management. I networked my way to find this job. So can you!
I start to network when I was in University of Waterloo. I want to get an internship but don’t know how. I wasn’t in the coop program and just transferred to a new program called FARM (Financial Analyst and Risk Management) in 2009.
Back then, there is no Power Career available, no VIP package, Infinite program, or Excel courses. You are very very lucky today to have the service available to you.
I would use the service to make more money and save more time.
I talked to the program coordinator. I learned about LinkedIn in around 2009 after networking with him.
Networking lesson one:
Network with anyone. Even your professor, classmates, or even the audiences in this wechat group. They will become very valuable connections in the future.
So, even though I know and register Linkedin. But I don’t how to use it.
You can ask PC advisor more about the LinkedIn service. I am not going to expand it today.
So I did not use it.
Fast forward to my master of finance time at Wilfrid Laurier University, I was trying to take a certification in Bloomberg Terminal. But I have some questions about the exam. So, I email the camps rep and got my answer. In the end, I am very pleased to talk to him and offered my help if he needs a hand. Luckily, he did need someone. So, he gave me a part-time job on campus to promote the exam.
Networking lesson two:
Proactive. Try to be helpful to everyone.
I did not know he has a job. I was just willing to offer my help for free so that I can put more experience in my resume. It turned out to be a part-time job.
Fast forward to 2 years ago, I was talking with my friend Jason, CFA lecturer in PC, who just found a job in Manulife. I was congratulating him and at the same time let him know that I am actively looking one.
One day, he told me that this risk analyst job available in Global ALM when he talked to Michael, my teammate in the Waterloo school project. I passed my resume and he recommended me. I got an interview and job offer right after.
Networking lesson three:
Let other know what you want.