Networking & Interviews
Nick Kwiek (former TRIO SSS Career Coach) on Networking:
When I look at my resume, I see that I have had sixteen jobs since I moved my career from food service to education in spring 2008. For twelve of them, I had a connection that helped me get the job. Of the remaining four, well-timed communication helped me get one of them, and another was a contract gig, where connections helped me get work every day. For the other two, I don't know what they were thinking. Of the five food service jobs I had before that, I got each of them because I had a connection.
You might be asking about now how it is that I've had sixteen jobs in thirteen years. Before I moved to the UP in 2019, I never had fewer than two jobs at a time. Why did I always have two or three jobs? Money, experience, and opportunities. The side job I started in 2012 turned into a full-time job in 2013. The side job I started in 2014 paid for my honeymoon, then turned into my main job (not full time because I was a stay at home dad) in 2016. Those jobs gave me the experience to be qualified for the job I have now.
How do I make connections?
Step 1: Set up your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the most commonly used professional network. It will be your tool for connecting and exchanging contact information with people you meet in person and online. Just like your résumé, it needs to present you positively and accurately. This is professional media, not social media. Keep it professional.
Step 1.1: Start a network on LinkedIn. Being connected to people helps you find other people and helps other people find you. Connect to these people to start: Nick Kwiek (former TRIO SSS Academic & Career Coach), Terri Olsen (TRIO SSS Academic Specialist and Interim Director), Emma Dorst (CVC Director). Connect with your professors and anyone else you recognize. Once you're connected to us, LinkedIn will recommend other people related to Finlandia and beyond.
Step 2: Attend professional networking events. They are rarely called that, but you will recognize them. They might be sponsored by a professional organization or a local business or development organization. In Hancock, before the pandemic, the Keweenaw Chamber of Commerce hosted multiple monthly events for members that often centered on a meal, a learning opportunity, and time to socialize. Many organizations, including the Keweenaw Chamber, have moved those events online. That means that you can attend events here or in a region where you plan to move after you finish your degree.
What if I'm shy, and I don't talk to anyone? That's okay. Going to events will help you to get comfortable in that space, and eventually you will be networking with other attendees. You'll also learn who's who in the area or the field and what people are talking about.
Step 3: Join a professional organization. If your field has a professional organization or a union, find the chapter in the location where you want to work, and ask to join.
Step 4: Connect with new people on LinkedIn. If you attend a presentation, connect with the presenter. If you talk with someone at a professional event, like a Chamber of Commerce lunch or a conference, connect with them. If you attend a virtual event, and there is another attendee who talks a lot during the event, connect with them.
Handshake is Finlandia's career and recruiting platform. You can set up a profile and use that to connect with employers, coworkers, professors, and other students to expand your network.
Interviews
This section is under construction. For help preparing for an interview, contact your TRIO SSS Career Coach.