<p>I'm a rising senior in HS right now, and I've heard a little about "networking" with people while in college. What exactly does that mean and how important is it? Thanks!</p>
<p>It means accruing contacts that can help you out later, like when you're looking for a summer job. And it's very important, in college and beyond.</p>
<p>It basically means meeting people and establishing a relationship with people who may be in a position, buisness wise, to help you later on in life. For instance, if your out in corporate america (or really any other profession) and your choosing to do business with two companies, if you were friends with one of the people at one of the companies in college, you might be more likely to do buisness with them. That's the traditional meaning of networking at least. think of the stereotypical old boys club,but a lot more general.</p>
<p>How could you "network" in college? Do you randomly meet people or do you join many clubs?</p>
<p>Go out of your way to make a friend, you don't need to join a club, it's not as if a person is going to have a sign on their head saying "If you're my friend I can probably hook you up with a great job in your field." The more people you know the better, "that" friend could be the son of a corporate hot shot, therefore if you are looking for a job in that particular field, you will get it. It's more or less gaining friendships with people to further your future in the working world.</p>
<p>So its making friends in a field. But how can you be sure that friend can help you out in the future?</p>
<p>And where do most people meet other people in college? In the classes or clubs?</p>
<p>You can never be sure someone will absolutly help you in the future, but hopefully that isn't the only reason you make friends with a person. However, if someone is in your major and you know they intend on going into the same profession, that tells you they <em>might</em> be in a situation to help you. </p>
<p>A word of warning, I know a lot of people who are the kinds of people other people want to get to know superficially (for who their parents are, or the connections they have--not for who they are as people), and almost everyone I know in that situation is very skeptical about people who just want to be their friends because of their situation. Most of them have mentioned in conversation how it's usually pretty easy to see through wanting to be friends with someone just for their connections. If your friendliness and interest in them isn't genuine, it's almost worse than having said nothing in the first place.</p>
<p>On re-reading my post, I realize that last part may have come off sounding snobby like "I know someone YOU don't know" but it totally wasn't meant like that, I just happen to know them from school, and have had conversations about this exact thing, and it's very present in their minds.</p>