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3 NO-NOs for Networking

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Devon Correll
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Hillary Coombs
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bryant chapter.

The career fair of the fall semester is tomorrow! Can you believe how fast time flys, and how unprepared you actually are? No worries, Her Campus Bryant is a step ahead of the game with tons of tips and tricks to ace your career fair experience.  

Tons of great companies will be there tomorrow, and that means one important thing-Networking! We all know and have had this instilled in our brains since first stepping foot on the Bryant campus… that networking is one of the most important tools to land you a job post grad.  Everyone can smile and give a firm handshake, but do you know what not to do?

1.  Do not be chewing gum while networking!

  • There is nothing worse than looking like a cow grazing while you’re introducing yourself to a superior professional who is considering hiring you.  You are setting yourself up to be the gum chewer as soon as you walk away from that employer.  Don’t lower your chances of a job with that company that fast by simply chewing gum.  If you’re a constant gum chewer, give yourself a friendly reminder on your phone before the career fair to get rid of it!

2.  Do not be looking everywhere else around the room, keep constant eye contact!

  • Don’t make that employer feel like you would rather be anywhere else.  They will be just as uninterested in you as you are in them.  Show them they have your full undivided attention and keep eye contact throughout your time with them.  It makes a big difference in their attitude towards you, and they will remember your name.

3.  Do not just introduce your first name, or even worse, your nickname.

  • Employers will not remember you with just your first name, or whatever your nickname happens to be.  Professionalism is all about using your full first and last name. How much more professional does your full name sound when you introduce yourself to an employer? It makes a big difference and you will be taken more seriously.  Let’s practice, “Hi *insert hand shake*, my name is Nicole Adams” *let the recruiter introduce themselves*  “I am a senior studying management and I noticed you have a Leadership Development Rotational Program and wanted to ask a few questions about it…”
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Devon is a senior at Bryant University.  As a Marketing and Communications major, Her Campus is everything that Devon loves. Her hometown of Rutland, Vermont is where she was born and raised.  She attended Philadelphia University for her freshmen year of college as a Fashion Industry Management major, but discovered her true passion was the business aspect of the fashio industry, leading her to transfer to a nationally ranked business school, Bryant University.  Devon is the co-president of the Her Campus chapter at Bryant and is also a Research Assistant in the school's Office of Planning and Institutional Research.  You will see Devon on campus organizing HC events, running around finishing projects, or hanging out with her friends.  Devon's passions include: writing, dance, the ocean, and spending time with the people she loves.  
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Hillary Coombs is a junior at Bryant University studying International Business and Marketing minoring in Chinese and Spanish. She works during the summers at Westminster Tool blogging and updating all social media accounts as well as interning in the International Affairs office. During the fall of 2012, Hillary studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain where she held a marketing internship and perfected her Spanish language. At Bryant, she works in the Office of Planning and Institutional Research gathering crucial university data and presenting it through documents to the President, Deans, and other faculty members of Bryant University. Aside from working and studying Hillary is a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority and Omicorn Delta Kappa. Hillary finds peace of mind staying active and running in local 5K races.