Hank Blank - Networking Tips for College Students and Young People -Hey. So how about some networking tips for college students and young people who hate to network? Oh, I know, young people definitely hate to network. You know, I've spoken on college campuses for many years now. The thought of networking was really a foreign concept to students in the past. Oh, I'm not talking about being on Facebook. That's socializing, not really networking in a business sense. When students think about networking they go, ugh, I'd rather put a fork in my eye. I think attitudes though now are changing because students see how hard it is to get a job, and they also see the impact of the recession in their households. And they know that they need a lot of tools to successfully enter the job market. So here's some networking tips for college students who hate to network. First, hope is not a plan. When my kids were growing up, I used to have a saying on the fridge, hope is not a plan. I hope I get into that class. I hope I pass. I hope I graduate. You need a plan of action to achieve your academic goals, and it's the same about networking. You need to set a strategy for what you want to achieve and who you need to meet to get there. You need to intensely focus your activities on getting a job. That's key today. You need all the tools that are available to you. You don't have much of a choice. This means attending events where there are a lot of adults versus student networking groups. Hey, don't get me wrong, I think being part of student chapters is great, but the jobs and the internships are at the mainstream PRSA and IABC chapters or ad club chapters, or wherever you go. This is pretty basic, but you need business cards. Yes, business card for you. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about this. If you don't have a buddy that can do it for you, connect with somebody else that can design you cards, but they must be unique and distinctive, not for free off the internet. And believe me, guys, handing out business cards will make you look much better than I'll let you fill in the blanks. The other thing that you need to do is register your domain name. You may move and get a lot of jobs in your life, but your personal URL will be your permanent address. It will help your SEO and those background checks that are going to be done on you in the future. And to help you with that, have your favorite geek build you a one-page landing site. A one-page site, even that will do it. If you can do five pages, that'll be great. You will keep building it for the rest of your life, and that's what websites will become in the future. They will be the one-stop shop where people come and find out about you. Hit up your parents for a budget to attend networking. You know what? The majority have student rates. I think your parents are going to be much more receptive to funding your attending networking events than going to Vegas. And then you need to master LinkedIn. Yes, LinkedIn, not Facebook. You have no choice, because that's what HR departments use. That's what recruiters use. And you have to start with a business photo on your profile. I can guarantee that you will look very impressive if you get a complete profile with lots of connections and recommendation. Get recommendations from your profs, part-time jobs, volunteer connections, whatever. Post updates daily, not about your favorite taco, but about the networking events you're going to attend and other thought leadership. Here's another tip, don't think of your parents' friends as more old people. Look at them as databases, databases. Link in with them. If they are in a field that you're interested in, ask for a courtesy interview. Trust me, they'll be eager to help. Most parents are instilled with an unwritten code and secret wiring that says you must help your friends' and peers' children. It's an unwritten rule. Leverage it. Here's my advice-- create the world you want to live in in the future by forming it with your networking activity today. If you want to connect with people with lots of social currency, then volunteer and attend a lot of fundraising events, which are also excellent networking events. A lot of people prior to the recession used to live in a world of this is what I got. We saw a lot of that in the last decade. It didn't last, and neither did its values. These are the times to live in a world of this is how I can help. Let it define your networking strategy. Remember, it's up to you, all young people, to reinvent the world to your vision and create the promise of change that all ages embrace. Hey, so thanks very much for watching this, taking the time. I hope you learned something valuable. So I want to network with you. Just Google Hank Blank. You can connect with me on whatever platform you like. LinkedIn, I'll be there, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, my blog. So let's start the journey. Let's see where it goes.