We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not about what you know, its who you know.” One of the big takeaways every college student needs to have no matter what their major, is networking.
Florida A&M University academic coach Amanda Williams hosted a networking workshop Tuesday via Zoom for all students.
The purpose of the workshop was to help students understand exactly what networking is, tell them why it is important, and show the networking opportunities at FAMU.
Williams opened the workshop by explaining what networking is in depth, and asking who all has already experienced networking with their peers.
A lot of the students who attended the workshop already had an idea of what networking is, but didn’t specifically know how to go about it.
Williams said that in college, networking is one of the most important things to do.
“Networking allows you to keep learning from leaders and peers in your industry,” Williams said. “It also gives you the ability to connect you with better opportunities.”
Williams later explained to the students that the key takeaways from networking were: it’s used by professionals to widen their acquaintances, find out about job opportunities, and increase their awareness of news and trends in their fields, and to develop professional relationships for future endeavors.
The most informative part of the workshop was when Williams showed the students potential areas at FAMU where they could network. Some of those areas were:
- Joining organizations, clubs and professional societies
- Joining mentorship programs at FAMU
- Developing relationships with your professors
- Networking during internships
Second year psychology major Aniyah Wellington said she enjoyed attending the workshop and found it very useful.
“This workshop was very insightful because it opened my eyes to how useful making meaningful connections with others can be,” Wellington said. “One major thing I learned was that even after graduating, we still can utilize FAMU’s Career Center to help us form more networking opportunities.”
With all the helpful tips Williams gave to the students, she had one important takeaway from the workshop.
“My takeaway for you all is, make sure you talk to everybody,” Williams said. “When networking you always want to be kind and courteous to everyone you meet and have high energy. Also, after an event, follow up with the people you met and keep in contact with them.”
Third year business major, Jaime Williams, thinks FAMU should host more workshops like this.
“This workshop was quick, efficient, and came with a lot of good tips,” Williams said. “A lot of students need guidance with getting into their careers, and workshops like these can help them have this information more accessible to them.”