(Courtesy/Mandy Mallot ‘03)
With Academy’s annual Holiday Luncheon approaching on Friday, December 20, Alumni Board President Mandy Mallott gave the senior class an “Importance of Networking” presentation on Thursday, December 5, during lunch. Along with her position on the Alumni Board, she is an Upper School swim coach and Director of the Ohio State Early Investor Network.
As an Academy alumnus herself, Mallott created a comprehensive yet understandable guide to networking, breaking it down into its most basic form—forming meaningful connections with others. Professional networking includes building a personal brand and marketing ourselves, creating relationships with lasting impact.
Now, the question is: how to begin?
Mallott recommended brainstorming first, thinking about our career goals, role models, and qualities we would value in a mentor. Some of her own examples include joining a non-profit abroad, looking up to Eleanor Roosevelt, and wanting an honest adviser.
Next, she taught us to create an online presence through LinkedIn, a work-related social media platform. From creating a banner and choosing a profile photo to writing an elevator pitch and highlighting qualifications, we received an in-depth “how-to” on setting up our LinkedIn account.
To build a network, we begin with people we already know—parents’ friends and people we’ve met at work or volunteering. If they know someone we’d like to connect with, we can ask for a “warm introduction,” when a mutual acquaintance facilitates a relationship.
Expanding outreach further, we can attend events with professionals, researching the attendees beforehand to see who we can interact with. Mallott provided a list of tips with conversation starters for natural conversation and suggested following up on LinkedIn afterward. By sending a LinkedIn message, we not only form a connection, but also have a record of how we met people. And, who knows? Maybe we’ll find ourselves a mentor!
From a successful Academy alumnus to the current senior class, Mallott’s presentation framed networking in a digestible way, showing that we’re building our network just by talking to others. Coming up, the Holiday Luncheon on Friday, December 20, will let us practice outreach as our first step into the professional world.
