For recent graduates, the festive season can be a mix of emotions—excitement for the holidays, but also anxiety about unemployment. However, this season is a treasure trove of networking opportunities.
Let’s ‘unwrap’ these chances to deck your career halls with sparkling job prospects!
Why the Holidays are Perfect for Networking
- Gatherings Galore: From family dinners to community events, there’s a myriad of places where you could meet someone who has a lead on a job. Getting a referral from a family member, friend or connection may boost your chances of being invited to an interview.
- Season of Sharing: People are generally in a giving mood and more open to sharing advice, contacts, or job leads. Leverage this by sparking up conversations about careers and actively seeking career advice.
- End-of-year Reflections: Many professionals are evaluating the past year and planning for the next. This can be an ideal time to discuss potential opportunities in the upcoming year. Be proactive by reaching out to internal recruitment teams letting them know you are available for work.
Holiday Networking Tips for Graduates
1. Be Prepared but Subtle
While it’s essential to be prepared with an elevator pitch, remember it’s a festive gathering. Keep conversations light and festive, but be ready to smoothly segue into your aspirations when appropriate.
Top Tips be prepared before networking over the holidays/Christmas period:
- Dress appropriately for the event – you don’t want to turn up in your Christmas jumper if everyone else is formally dressed likewise, you don’t want to be overdressed, so check if there is a dress code in advance.
- Set Clear Objectives – Know what you want to achieve from each networking opportunity. Define whether you aim to meet new contacts, nurture existing relationships, or learn something new. Doing this will help you to find a balance between professional networking and enjoying the festivities of the event.
2. Attend Alumni Events
During the festive season, many universities organise special alumni gatherings. These events serve as an excellent platform for mingling and rekindling connections with old classmates and peers. But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Alumni events are also treasure troves of diverse professional opportunities, bringing together former students from a multitude of fields and industries.
Don’t shy away from introducing yourself and striking up conversations, even if it feels a bit outside of your comfort zone. People generally attend these events expecting to network, so take advantage of the conducive environment to forge new professional relationships.
Before you attend, it might be a good idea to brush up on the latest industry news and trends. Being knowledgeable and ready to engage in relevant discussions will make you a more appealing conversationalist. Additionally, ensure you have a generous stack of updated business cards at your disposal. Handing them out during discussions will facilitate easier future communications and leave a professional impression.
Ensure your LinkedIn profile and any other professional social media accounts are polished and up-to-date. After the event, you can expect new connections to look you up online, and a well-maintained profile will bolster your professional image.
So, mark your calendar and make the most out of these alumni gatherings over the Christmas season. They are ripe with opportunities and potential collaborations that could steer your career in exciting new directions.
3. Utilise Social Media
Social media, particularly professional networking sites like LinkedIn, can be powerful tools to maintain and enhance your professional relationships, especially during the festive season. Use these platforms to extend warm season greetings or express your gratitude with a thoughtful year-end thank-you message to the contacts you’ve nurtured throughout the year.
This approach is not just cordial but also strategic. A personalised message is considerate and memorable, keeping you at the forefront of your contacts’ minds. It’s a non-intrusive yet effective way of keeping the professional rapport warm and vibrant, ensuring that you remain on their radar.
But don’t stop at just sending greetings. Engage with their posts, share insights, and participate in discussions. This active participation shows your continuous interest and commitment to your professional relationship and keeps the communication channels open and active.
Moreover, as the year wraps up, it’s also an excellent opportunity to share your professional milestones and achievements, subtly informing your network of your progress and developments. Tailor these messages to be both informative and engaging, allowing your contacts to celebrate your successes with you.
Lastly, remember that quality matters over quantity. Personalise your messages and make them heartfelt and genuine. A well-crafted message can enhance your connection, making the relationship more robust and beneficial for the future.
4. Offer Help
Instead of directly seeking job opportunities, ask if there’s any way you can assist them during the holidays. This could mean volunteering at a company event or helping with a project. It’s a proactive way to show your skills and initiative.
Offering your assistance not only strengthens your existing professional relationships but also opens doors to new opportunities, collaborations, and networks that can be instrumental in driving your career forward.
5. Join Community Events
Parades, charity drives, or local festivals can be great places to meet people from various industries. Plus, getting involved can also demonstrate a commitment to your community.
Participating in these events could bag you some positive recommendations on your LinkedIn profile, some strong company referrals, references, skills for your CV and stories to share in interviews.
6. Stay Updated
Even during the holidays, keep up with industry news. This ensures that you can contribute meaningfully to any relevant conversations.
Staying updated also demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth, making you stand out as a valuable contact or candidate. Utilise various platforms such as industry newsletters, podcasts, webinars, and social media to keep a pulse on the latest happenings in your field. Being knowledgeable allows you to seize opportunities to contribute, impress, and make a lasting impact during networking encounters over the holidays.
7. Practice Active Listening
While it’s essential to share about yourself, be sure to listen actively. Understand the needs and trends in industries of interest, which can guide your job search strategy.
Remember, networking is a two-way street. Balancing speaking and listening is key to successful networking interactions, creating a solid foundation for fruitful professional relationships. This holiday season, let your active listening skills shine, making every conversation count towards your networking success.
How Graduate Coach Can Help
Graduate Coach helps unemployed graduates by helping them turn their degrees into a career. We can help you craft the perfect CV and give you intensive interview coaching to maximise your chances of getting your dream job. We will also teach you the employability skills crucial to ensuring that will make you the stand-out candidate for any job you apply for.
We will also mentor you after you have successfully gotten your first job to help ensure that you continue to thrive in the workplace and your career path remains stable. Get in touch with us here!
Conclusion
For unemployed graduates, the holiday season is more than just festivities and gifts; it’s a gold mine of networking opportunities. Approach each gathering with hope and positivity. Behind every door, conversation, and event, there might just be a career opportunity waiting to be discovered. So, deck the halls and your professional network this season!
Featured image by Nubia Navarro from Pexels
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