Networking...with GBA

The Graduate Business Association (GBA) is a student-led organization within the Belk College of Business. Its main purpose is to provide networking and professional development opportunities to foster meaningful connections among master and doctoral candidates and the Charlotte business community. Although it is a fairly new organization, it started to gain ground among the Belk College of Business graduate students.

Yesterday evening, GBA hosted a networking event at Pisces Sushi Bar and Lounge. The event was a huge success. Over 35 graduate students and alumni came together to connect with each other, exchange ideas and thoughts, and enjoy the delicious food. I always enjoy attending these kinds of social networking events because it gives you the opportunity to meet new people, discover new interesting points of view, and open yourself to a whole new way of thinking. In addition to that, you build relationships and friendships that will become your "power ties."

When I first came for the MBA Preview Day last spring, I met Leticia Foster, the former GBA President. As she was talking to me about GBA, all I could think was: how can I join the organization? I learned from my undergraduate experience the importance and benefits of getting involved in different organizations, and I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to take part in GBA. And it was a great decision. I didn't know anyone in Charlotte before starting the MBA program. Attending the monthly GBA social networking events at Brixx and Pisces helped me get to know more people and feel more comfortable in the program. Less than two months in the program, and I already started to develop new friendships and professional connections with individuals interested in the same field of study as me. In addition, from the professional development networking seminar, I learned a lot of very useful lessons and tips, some of which I already shared in my previous blog entries.

I hope my experiences will inspire other graduate students to attend the GBA events and get involved. One of the great things about this organization is that it is student-led and any student can leave his/her mark on the organization by getting involved and taking the initiative to see an idea come to fruition. Needless to say, I look forward to participating in the upcoming events and workshops. :)

Fall Recess...

After two long stressful weeks of papers, presentations, and exams, it is time to enjoy a long fall break weekend. The Fall Recess provides the students with the opportunity to catch up on some much needed rest, get ahead on school work, and spend some time discovering the city and what all it has to offer.

As a newbie to the Charlotte area, this was the perfect opportunity to get in the car and explore Charlotte and the surrounding areas. After doing some research online, I found a list with 101 Things To Do in Charlotte. I'm an outdoor person so I didn't hesitate at the opportunity to visit the U.S. Whitewater Center first. Not only do they have a number of fun water activities but they also have great hiking and biking trails. My second outdoor adventure was visiting Lake Norman and the parks around it. The beautiful scenery and relaxing atmosphere became the perfect location for reading one of the books I have for school. My third outdoor adventure for the weekend was jogging along the Little Sugar Creek Greenway. This trail provides an escape in the nature, without leaving the Uptown Charlotte limits. To satisfy my food curiosity, I visited the South End Food Truck Friday. This was my first encounter with food trucks and I must admit the delicious food made for an amazing experience.

Now that the weekend is over, it is back to the reality of being a full-time graduate student: finishing up homework assignments, reading articles and case studies, and studying the business fundamentals taught in class. Nonetheless, I look forward to being able to check off all 101 things to do in Charlotte by the time I graduate from the MBA program.

Making "Power Ties"

As international students, we are always focused on studying 24/7. In most cases, our cultural background influences us to follow down that path because we believe that is the ultimate way to land our dream job in the US. We are so blinded by this idea that we forget to step outside our "box" and build professional connection and relationships in our field of interest. In other words, we underestimate the power of networking.

The Graduate Student Services Office in collaboration with the Office of International Students and Scholars and the University Career Center put together an eye opening seminar about Finding Jobs in the USA for Students on Visas. A requirement to attending this seminar was reading Power Ties by Dan Beaudry. This book was written specifically for international students who are looking at obtaining a job in the US after graduation. Dan Beaudry highly encouraged everyone to start building professional relationships as early in their college/graduate life as possible. Although these "power ties" must be built through strategic outreach, they must be motivated by common interests and not money. This is the true key to networking.

Your question might be: how do I build those "power ties?" One important aspect is that you have to have a proactive approach to not only networking but also your job search. Having a presence on LinkedIn and other professional social media sites increases your visibility and your chances to reach out to others who might have the same professional interest as you. In addition, joining and getting involved with professional organizations in the industry of your interest will allow you to connect with the people who are currently working in that field and from whom you might be able to learn insightful information. However, when making these connections try to not only focus on your job search but also on more personal common interests. These connections could become your future referrals from inside the industry and "hiring based on the trusted opinion of the others is not only the oldest recruiting solution, it is still the best solution" (direct quote from Power Ties).

Sometimes taking these steps might be counter cultural to the way we were raised, but we need to understand the nature of the job search market in the US. There are many ways to find a job. You could look and apply on company websites, job search engines and so on. However, over half of the jobs out there are not posted on job sites or even on the company website. These jobs are all referral based. Thus, it is crucial to get to know the right people. However, even if you do know the right people, what do they know about you? This is when developing a niche for yourself is so important (not just technical niche, but personal as well). What will motivate the employer to hire you is your ability to solve business issue as well as your credibility, likeability, and helpfulness. Thus, you have to be able (and feel comfortable) talking about your past performances and show your “soft skills.”

From personal experience all this works! A few weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a charity pro-am and silent action event. Committing to such an event meant losing a day of studying before one of the hardest weeks of graduate school: a group project, a paper, and two exams. But taking the career advisors’ advice, I said yes. I was not only able to contribute to a great cause (cystic fibrosis) but also have the opportunity to meet and connect with a professional that is currently holding my dream job. By talking to her about our common interest (tennis, family values, international travel), I was able to establish the connection Dan Beaudry and the rest of the career advisers so strongly emphasized. In addition, she was able to offer me powerful tips that would help me in further shaping my career path. I could've chose to study that Saturday and completely missed an opportunity of a lifetime.

Hope this information will help others just as it helped me. Enjoy building your "power ties!"