Network properly - Prepare your career start!

Networking Preparation

Think & Plan: Beforehand, ask yourself which new contacts would be useful for you and where you can best establish them. In your studies, networking events, lectures, or workshop evenings organized by your university or college are suitable.

Find suitable networking opportunities: There are various offline and online networking opportunities. Trade fairs and events such as the Absolventenkongress are excellent for this purpose. But you can also network online through LinkedIn to find and maintain suitable contacts. Here are some tips on building your personal brand on LinkedIn!

The Elevator Pitch: Important individuals often have little time, so prepare to introduce yourself within 30-60 seconds – and present the most important aspects about yourself and your interests/work or projects. If you convince them, you may have more time to deepen the conversation afterward.

Networking Tips

Confident presence: Your soft skills are put to the test here. Politeness and manners, as well as active listening and subsequent questioning, are essential.

Honesty: Don't just mention the positive aspects. Also, proactively address the challenges in your work and address them directly.

Less is more: It can be tempting to establish many different important contacts just in case. However, in most cases, it's advantageous to establish fewer but higher-quality contacts that you can then maintain well afterward.

Extra tip: Social media consultant Mike Sansone has devised the 70-20-10 rule for networking. This rule states that you should spend 70 percent of your time helping others, 20 percent of your time presenting yourself, and 10 percent of your time seeking help from others.

Afterwards: How to properly maintain your contacts

Building a network usually progresses slowly. To benefit from it in the long term, you must also consistently maintain your professional contacts, similar to private friendships.

Connect with valuable contacts through social networks such as LinkedIn or XING. Small interactions, such as congratulating your contacts on their birthdays or promotions, sending interesting information, or pointing out useful events, maintain the connection. This way, you have the best chance of staying in their memory!