These five years are certainly an opportunity to acquire useful skills for a professional career, but they are also a way to build solid relationships with students, teachers and even professionals.
WHAT IS A “NETWORK” AND WHY CREATE ONE?
Having become an essential term, the “network” is conjugated in the plural: there are networks of friends, social networks, professional networks, etc. For a business school student, building relationships – both in person and on the web – is imperative. Sociability is both a matter of personal and professional development. But what exactly is a network ?
A network is a real or virtual world made up of “connections”. These connections, which are also called “contacts”, have become necessary to broaden one’s range of possibilities and discover new professional opportunities. The idea is not to have a “large” network but an effective network where mutual aid and sharing are key words. In short, the network is the place where exchanges of good practices are legion: CV sharing, link to a site, recommendations…
Networking, or networking in French, is therefore a good way to keep informed of opportunities around you, to discover new professions or to increase your visibility in order to be contacted or recontacted by a future employee or client. Finally, the network often experiences the “snowball” effect: the network of X meets the network of Y which itself has previously encountered the network of Z… And the links multiply!
HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR NETWORK WHILE STILL A STUDENT?
But how to weave these links? Where to start ? Developing your network requires being more active than passive. Going out, meeting new people, making your profile known and highlighting your skills are essential if you want to benefit from the advantages of networking. For the student in business school, several events taking place within the campus are useful for founding his own network.
Forums and JPO
The forums organized by business schools are an opportunity to meet professionals, entrepreneurs, representatives of large companies… And to exchange a word, even a CV or an e-mail address, with people who may be potentially interested. by a profile today or in the future.
In 2019, the Pôle Léonard de Vinci organized a business forum called the De Vinci Career Fair with the aim of connecting engineering students, managers and designers with companies (BNP Paribas, M6 Group, Orange, etc.) . Open to 5th and 4th year students, this event is ideal for finding an end-of-study internship or meeting future recruiters.
As for the JPOs , they are also a good way to familiarize yourself with a new environment and to meet future classmates!
Student life on campus
Associations, Erasmus Student Network , sports, Junior-Enterprise , cultural events,… Participating in student life is also part of the networking process.
By being brought into contact with and collaborating with students on the same campus, human relations can become professional. Working on a common project is, for example, a way to see that we can complement each other. By each contributing their own skills, the idea of collaborating together becomes clearer and more interesting to exploit.
Alumni
The alumni network, also known as the Alumni network, is particularly interesting in terms of networking since it brings together both former graduates and newcomers wishing to learn from the experiences of their elders.
In a mutually enriching exchange, connections are made and the idea of a post-school professional path becomes clearer. Thanks to cycles of conferences and testimonials, students find answers to their questions and can project themselves more easily into the future.
Studying in a business school offers a number of networking benefits. Beyond virtual networking via professional networks, the connections and relationships established within the campus can be real springboards for starting a professional career. In this sense, developing a network during your studies is not superfluous: taking advantage of internships, international exchanges, but also forums and student life on campus, is to give yourself the chance to see even further.