Sell Yourself: Networking and an MBA Degree

By Jessica Santina
jessica.santina@careertrainingdirectory.com
Career Training Directory Columnist

In a recent survey of senior-management executives who earn at least $100,000 a year, 70% of human resources executives said they rely heavily on referrals from networking contacts to fill job openings.

However, while 84% of senior managers feel that networking is crucial for a successful business career, only 19% of them believe that their own networks are in tip-top shape. That may be why many business schools are now building networking into their MBA programs.

Teaching Networking to MBA Students

Networking is a necessity for MBA grads looking to start their business careers. Many business schools now require MBA students to take courses in career management, which provide instruction on networking, résumé creation, interviewing, pay negotiations, and job hunting. Some business schools offer extra-curricular clubs or programs that pair MBA students with mentors in the business world, or with alumni, to give students a built-in network.

CNN Money reports that job seekers should spend at least one hour a week networking - getting to know peers with other companies, attending work-related events, and even volunteering. Networking isn’t about asking for a job; it’s about seeking advice, ideas, and support through your connections to others. Those connections pay off big.

Networking and the Online MBA

An online MBA provides you with a built-in network of professionals from around the state, country, or globe. And because many MBA students may feel uncomfortable approaching strangers in person, it’s often easier to network in an electronic environment. Additionally, many online business schools are taught by real world professionals who have had successful business careers. What better way to network than to work one-on-one with those who might know just what it takes to get hired? Plus, an online MBA program resembles a real world business environment, in which much of your interaction will take place electronically.

It’s not what you know, but whom you know that matters in starting a successful business career. And these days, there are plenty of MBA programs out there that can give you a head start.

Sources

“Dear Annie,” CNNMoney.com
“Networking is Added to B-School Curriculum,” Wall Street Journal
“Five Reasons to Get an Online MBA,” Monster.com

About the Author

Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and promotions. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.