It started about three weeks ago in my Entrepreneurial Leadership class. The lecture that day was about networking and how proactively reaching out to others is especially important in today’s weak economy. If you can connect with the right person, finding a job might be easier. While I have heard this lecture before, this time I was inspired to take action.

I picked up the phone and I called my former colleague (let’s call him Ray) whom I had worked with in the past at AT&T wireless. We had not talked in over three years, but he was very glad to hear from me. To my surprise, our conversation lasted about an hour. I was impressed with how far he had climbed the corporate ladder. In a few short years he had worked his way up to Senior Product Manager of a Fortune 1000 firm.

He asked me what I was planning to do after graduation. After describing my objective (i.e. “get a job soon”), he described a job at his firm which needed to be filled immediately. The job included a great salary, full benefits, paid time off, flexible hours, and a promotion after graduation. Conveniently, he was the hiring manager. To my surprise, he said, “The position is yours, if you want it.”

My response? Of course, I accepted the job. It was exactly the job that I wanted. The following week I was on a plane heading to Dallas for training. I’m currently working and attending night classes. I’ll be graduating in May 2011.

Making the phone call to Ray was the best decision I made this semester. My advice to you is to start networking now!

Chuck Su
CSUF Entrepreneurship Student