Networking, Professionalism & Job Search

Networking:

Networking is the process of building relationships to expand your career knowledge and advance your professional development and social opportunities. Networking is not a transactional interaction. It is about discovering and utilizing connections and tapping into your circle of friends, family, professors, previous employers and NNU Alumni.

What can you learn through networking?

• Gather information and advice about different career options
• Explore your fit within a particular profession
• Identify the qualities and skills of successful professionals
• Build relationships and find professional mentors
• Learn more about industry trends and discover internship and job opportunities

Leveraging Social Media

Your professional profile and engagement with social media are highly effective tools for networking. Social media platforms are valuable resources for researching careers, gaining insight from experienced professionals and searching for jobs. Actively manage your personal brand online to promote your skills, interests and professional aspirations on: 

• LinkedIn – Develop your profile on the world’s largest professional network to exponentially increase your world of connections, research companies of interest, discover job opportunities and engage with alumni and industry groups. Update your profile regularly with the skills, qualities and experiences that attract potential employers.
• Instagram and Facebook – Explore the professional applications of these omnipresent sites to expand your network, improve your personal brand and interact with potential hiring managers. Professionalism is key to leveraging your online presence for the job search. Keep your profile(s) professional and activate privacy settings to control the information displayed publicly.

Connect with Alumni

Building relationships with fellow Nighthawks is an excellent way to expand your professional network in any stage of your career. Whether you are seeking to conduct an informational interview with a professional or researching a specific company, turn to your alumni network as a rich source of information and opportunity. For more information about alumni events, contact the Office of Alumni Relations.

Meet with Potential Employers

Companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies visit the NNU campus throughout the year to share career opportunities with students. Career fairs, company presentations and information tables provide a great opportunity for you to speak directly with employers about internship and job possibilities. Employers often share about the company culture, tips for strengthening your application and opportunities for career advancement within the company. Employer events also offer the opportunity to practice introducing yourself to others and build your professional network as you evaluate your fit with a particular job, company and industry.

To see the full calendar of events and RSVP, log into Handshake.

Job Search:

NNU’s Office of Career Development is available to support you in your job and internship search. This includes helping with identifying where to search for internships and jobs, networking with alumni and industry professionals, and using websites such as Handshake and LinkedIn.

Here are some things you can do now to prepare for your search:

• Make sure your voicemail is set up with a professional message. Check your voicemails and emails regularly for employers trying to contact you.
• Gather your professional documents (resume, cover letter, etc.) and proofread them for updates and errors. Make an appointment with Career Development for a resume/cover letter review. 
• Practice interviewing to develop and fine-tune your interviewing skills so that you’re ready when employers reach out to interview you.
• Audit your social media sites and update your content to ensure you’re presenting a professional image that is consistent with your brand.
• Complete a skills assessment of yourself to understand your most marketable skills and assess the skills employers are looking for. Career Development can help with this!

Where to Find Jobs:

There are many tools and resources available for you to help find positions during your job search. These are some resources, however, it’s important to use a variety of options to find the types of positions you are looking for.

• Handshake – Search hundreds of positions posted by employers who are interested in recruiting NNU students. You can also find many virtual employer information sessions that you can register to attend.
• Career Fairs and Events – Participate in on-campus and virtual employer recruitment events to meet employers who are currently hiring.
• Alumni – Connect with NNU alumni to network and find available positions.
• Off-Campus Events and Job Fairs – Stay abreast of recruitment events that are happening in your local area, or in the area you want to work. These events may be open to the public or may be hosted by an outside organization.
• Job Search Sites – There are many general and industry-specific job sites to search for open positions. Use a few different sites and keywords to maximize the amount of relevant positions you can find. 
• Employer Websites – Go directly to the sites of employers you’re interested in, and search for open positions. Many employer sites will also let you set up job alerts that will notify you when relevant positions are posted.
• LinkedIn – Search open positions and set up job alerts to be notified when new jobs are posted.