Networking Will Advance Your Career – NOT an MBA
Author: Gary Whitehill
I recently came upon a quote by Peter Drucker – “More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject.”
As an MBA, it made me think about the value of the degree I obtained. As a student in a part-time MBA program I went to class after work where all of the students counted-down the minutes until class was over so they could go home after a long day. Everyone told me that completing my MBA was a great accomplishment and employers will look upon it even more favorably in my case since I got my MBA while working full-time, which showed devotion and dedication. I was also told that now, more than ever, you need the MBA next to your name in order for people to take you seriously and consider you for new job opportunities.
Fast forward a year to where I am today and the only thing I can say is that everyone couldn’t have been more wrong.
Every job opportunity or business opportunity that has come about since obtaining my MBA has been because of networking. In some cases it was from a person I met at an event and in other cases it was through a contact introducing me to someone else who may be a good fit. However, the one common theme was that I maintained an in-person relationship with everyone I met, either through meetings or by following up with them over coffee or a meal.
When you get your degree and look for a job solely via your resume, that piece of paper is what people and employers use to judge and compare you to others vying for the same position. Networking allows you to showcase “you”, your personality, your social skills and what you will bring to the table – items your resume is unable to portray. After networking, your resume is either no longer applicable or is just used to reinforce your expertise.
Unfortunately, networking is not something that is taught in an MBA program or even in most colleges.
Students are taught how to interview for jobs and how to answer interview question yet these skills don’t help you if you can’t get in front of the people you need to meet. Students need to know how to go to an industry event, talk to people, sell themselves, meet and maintain industry contacts and create a valuable network that is worth more than any MBA degree.
The ability to maintain your network and leverage it for advice and potential job opportunities is what will often make or break a career. The subtleties of networking, including how to dress, etiquette at a business meal and the art of following up on a new contact, are far more important than most of the required classes in any college or university.
As I look back on my experience, I urge you to place as much of an emphasis on getting out and meeting people as you do on the class work. The connections that you make and experience you gain from talking to people will prove to be as valuable, if not more valuable, than the MBA itself.
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