By Lauren Kazemekas '24 It can be extremely beneficial to begin professional networking early and often when you’re a Marist student. Networking is not about making short term or temporary connections, but rather building relationships over a long period of time through a series of mutually beneficial conversations. You should approach networking by putting yourself out there and thinking about how you can help someone who shares the same interests as you. Networking conversations can ultimately lead to valuable insight into possible jobs or career paths that might interest you. One effective way to start networking is creating a LinkedIn profile during your freshman year of college. I would suggest uploading a profile picture and listing your past activities or experiences so other people can get an idea of your background and knowledge. You are also able to add interests to your profile, follow updates from specific companies, and join groups on LinkedIn. If you join the Marist College Center for Career Services LinkedIn group you will see information about professional development events and opportunities for you as well as job and internship postings. When I started to look at LinkedIn profiles of upperclassmen at Marist I learned about the kinds of internships and other opportunities they’re taking advantage of. I was able to see the level of experience it takes to land an internship or full-time job after graduation. Their LinkedIn profiles showed me things I need to do to get where I eventually want to be such as joining more clubs, working an on-campus job, or seeking out internships. You should start to search for internships during the fall of your sophomore year. Most Marist students start interning after their sophomore year ends and companies often have early or rolling deadlines for summer internships. Starting your search and applications early in the fall will also leave enough time for you to review the content in your application a few times and make sure you have followed all of the instructions before you submit it. Meeting with a career coach or your internship faculty coordinator is a great starting point when looking for internships. Career coaches can help you prepare your application materials such as resumes and cover letters. Please make sure to schedule a remote appointment with a career coach using your FoxQuest account. Your internship faculty coordinator can also point you in the right direction by discussing options such as earning academic credit for your internship. There is a different internship faculty coordinator for students within each academic major at Marist. You can find yours here. The Center for Career Services also offers career fairs and virtual information sessions with employers for students to learn about various opportunities. It is never too early to make connections that can immensely help you down the road. Starting to network during your first year of college can benefit you in many ways and even make you stand out as a candidate for your future applications. Networking and searching for internships can seem overwhelming at first, but by taking small steps early during your time at Marist you can ease stress that can arise when searching for your next opportunity.
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