|
PROJECT 17: Network Partner Database Creation |
|
OVERVIEW: |
|
Throughout your
working career you will want continuously to be developing a quality list of
potential network partners. This process never stops. Networking is the most
effective, if not always quick and efficient, job search strategy that you
will probably ever use. If you are in the job
market now, have already accepted employment, are currently just working,
anticipate a future entrepreneurial experience, planning graduate study,
etc., this network creation project will be very valuable to you in both the
short and long term. You will learn how to create, maintain, and use network
partners who really want to help you; not turn you down as in a job
interview. The purpose of this
project is to get you started on learning how to identify potential partners
and then how to create a process that allows you to get better known by this
unique group of partners. They need to be reminded of your goals and plans on
a regular basis and you need to keep them advised regularly of your career
concerns. This is far preferable to contacting them just when you are in job
trouble. The networking search
strategies chapter of your textbook serves as the informational content base
of this project. The objective is to get you to explore several resources,
including your own personal list of contacts such as IU alumni, professional
association members/leaders, faculty, work colleagues, and many other
resources on networking that you might discover through your web research. Identify at least
three important sources of potential network partners that might help you in
your future long-term career information. You can identify any target markets
and Chapter 16 will help in that process. But you must also use the alumni
databases from The availability and
process instructions tend to change over time so we want you to browse and
learn the current process in this website. Especially review how to network
with club leaders in cities of interest to you. |
|
PROJECT
INSTRUCTIONS: |
|
Review Chapters 14,
15 and 16 in the textbook. Your finished project
should fulfill ALL of the
requirements below. CONTACT NETWORK: A. Review Chapters 14, 15, and especially 16 in the textbook.
Each chapter discusses various aspects of networking, but Chapter 16
specifically gets into the development of your contact database which is the
main goal of this project. B. Sources: Given your goals, identify at least three sources
that you plan to use in creating your list. Why is each of them especially
relevant to you? One of your resources must be the IU Alumni Association
database. Going through the UCSO homepage, you may link to the two databases:
IU Alumni Association and the IU Kelley School of Business database. After
reviewing the benefits of each to your circumstances and needs, select one of
these two databases to use in this project. You are welcomed to use other
resources if more appropriate for your needs. o
CONTACT:
Include name, title or occupation, address and telephone number. Categorize
your list by teachers, work associates, friends, relatives, acquaintances,
and friends of friends. We recommend that you use Access, Outlook, or Excel. o
ACTION:
Indicate what action you intend to carry out (i.e. giving them your resume,
requesting advice, job interviewing, and info searching, etc.). o
ACTION DATE:
List the date that you expect to carry out the action. Your table might
look like the Network Contact List in the syllabus appendix spaces for at
least 15 contacts or some variation of the contact card shown in Figure 16.1
of the textbook. C. Contact
Analysis: Chapter 16 recommends
many resources for sourcing contacts including your own personal knowledge
base. Identify two sources and explain briefly why you chose them. Then
describe how you plan to use these two resources in the future and how you
plan to maintain a relationship that will help you keep an up-to-date list of
very important network partners in your personal information management tool.
This “Database Analysis” should help you in the future. D. Record
Data: For each of the three
sources identify five contacts with whom you would initiate an informational
interview within the next year. Using the chart above (Figure
16.1 in the textbook), record all of the contact information for these
individuals. Altogether you will be turning in a list of 15 contacts for this
project to your Career Counselor. E. Information
Request Letter: Draft a networking
email that requests an appointment with any one of the above potential
networking partners. Follow the sample cover letter formats discussed in Figures
13.6 and 13.7
in your textbook. If this is an informational interview, be sure to state why
you are requesting an appointment and what you expect the outcome to be.
Emphasize that this is NOT a job interview appointment request. F. Supporting
Materials: Figures
16.7 and 16.8
in your textbook will assist you in creating the content that should go into
this informational interview request. The two “Career Action Projects”
descriptions at the end of Chapter 16 will provide more specifics about what
this part of the project usually includes. You should indicate
in the email that your resume and other informational documents are attached;
but, you do not need to actually include these in this project. This project
complements the Informational Interview project, so you might want to do both
of these projects, depending on your needs. Deliverables: Turn in to your Career Counselor: Ø
Database
analysis Ø
15 contact
names with information Ø
Sample email
request Ø
List of
attachments Ø
Analysis of
approach to your situation now and later. |