MBA Life Hacks for Building a Meaningful Career Network

With more than 4 lakh students enrolling for an MBA degree every year, the competition to get into top-notch B-Schools is cutthroat and ever-increasing. And the joy-ride does not end with getting admission into the B-School of your dreams. It actually marks the start of the very dynamic 2 years of professional growth. B-Schools these days aim at providing MBA career network which is at par with the requirements of the students and conclusive to their careers. The life of an MBA pursuant calls for a lot more than just curriculum study. And the more proactive you are, the higher are the chances of you getting placed.

In fact, many graduates prefer to pursue an MBA degree for building a solid professional career network which remarkably fuels their journey ahead. Apart from the perks provided by the school, the students also need to hone their social networking skills for building a meaningful career network.

This is precisely what confuses most of the students.

How to go about building a meaningful career network?

We’re here to guide you through that. Let’s take a look at some hacks through which you can carry off the career opportunities after MBA.

Proactive involvement in the Alumni Committee

Good B-Schools always have an Alumni Committee which is administered by the students. They conduct various alumni meets and maintain the school’s network with its pass outs. Being an active part of this committee will help you boost your career network by maintaining collaboration with people who are in the industry and can help you be one step ahead of your peers and maintain better social networking skills. Further, being in touch with alumni also gives you an idea of their lives, i.e., post-MBA life. This can immensely help you orient (or reorient) your dreams and goals.

Participation in intra and inter-college events and competitions

Actively participating in competitions and college events will open new channels to brush your people skills and improve upon peer networking. This will introduce you to new individuals and competing/ working with them will harness a constructive growth environment. This environment will help you test your skills and grow through peer-to-peer learning. Likewise, taking part in internship drives will build your social network by introducing you to industry professionals who always have their eyes open for good resources and maybe also help you get a pre-placement offer.

Staying in the good books of your Gurus

Maintaining a good rapport with your teachers will always help you groom a good career network. Usually, in good B-Schools, the faculty resources have passed out from reputable colleges and carry industry experience (or insights) as well. Working in collaboration with your mentors can definitely help you expand your social network and be a good tangent for boosting MBA career opportunities.

Having a good relationship with your peers

Your peers are your classmates, seniors, and juniors. Universities and colleges have students coming in from diverse cultural backgrounds from across the country and outside. Peer networking plays a huge role in building a diverse career network which in turn not only gives a platform to learn from varied personalities but also makes one dynamic and understand human psychology; one of the main characteristics for being an effective leader and manager.

Being an active part of college clubs and activities

College clubs and committees act as the epicenter of student engagement in any college or university. Being a part of these not only gives you added advantage in terms of a better portfolio but also exposes to new knowledge centers facilitating collaboration and people skills to strengthens peer networking.

Being a part of clubs like Toastmasters Club would not only help you build communication and leadership skills which are a must for any graduate these days, but also give a platform for participating in inter-club competitions which would connect you with new professionals on social networking sites, and in turn help you find new horizons for yourself. There are many such clubs like these which can boost anybody’s social network and help connect with experts and domain leaders from varied industries.

Strengthening your presence on social networking sites

Networking has become an easy thing these days, thanks to social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., which, if used for professional upliftment can do wonders for anyone. Meeting and acquainting with new people is a skill which if honed can racketeer MBA career opportunities by creating credibility for your skills. But keeping in mind to be continually in touch and strengthening these networks is the main deal. By connecting with industry professionals and leaders, and approaching them for guidance and showcasing your knowledge on such platforms will not only build a strong career network but also help you be consistent and visible amongst your peers and employers and help you stand out from the rest.

What shall you conclude from this?

The mantra towards building a meaningful career network lies in having an eagle’s eye toward opportunities. Also, socializing to expand and strengthen your network also helps. Remember, humans are social animals. But many a time we tend to forget to develop and exploit this latent skill to our benefit. So, gulp in all the above-mentioned life hacks and be ever-ready to pursue your MBA like a pro.