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Networking Tips for MBA Students

Professional networking is an important skill for MBA students to learn. Most graduates of MBA programs who have successful careers invested the time necessary to master and apply effective networking. Students can use the networking tips below as stepping stones on a successful career path.

Five Tips to Develop a Better Career Network

Create a professional online presence. Students without a professional profile on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are losing out on one of the best and simplest opportunities to network. They should make it a priority to create online accounts exclusively for career-related activities. View these accounts as online CVs; include professional headshots and double-check posts for grammatical and factual correctness.

Join a local professional organization. Every profession has organizations that bring together members to meet and discuss topics of common interest. Participating in these organizations can help members learn about new trends or tools, as well as meet possible future employers or coworkers.

Attend industry conferences. Students can expand their professional networks by going to a regional or national conference. In addition to attending the workshops and keynote addresses, students should focus on getting to know people at the social events. Attendees at a conference don't have to be afraid to engage with industry leaders. It is the perfect time to ask questions or hand out a compliment.

Conduct informational interviews. One of the best forms of networking is finding highly qualified people in a particular field of interest and conducting informational interviews. These types of interviews are short and casual and can offer one-of-a-kind insight into a possible career path—all while expanding the student's network.

Take advantage of your school's alumni. The alumni network is the backbone of any MBA program. While the knowledge taught in the classroom is essential for learning how to run a business in theory, many students discover that the school's alumni network is critical in providing opportunities to apply classroom learning in the real world. A school's alumni network provides opportunities to look for mentors, to find experts for informational interviews and to land jobs.

The University of Redlands Online offers students the convenience and flexibility of an online MBA program. The Redlands Online MBA program focuses on training modern business leaders in the fields of general business, marketing and finance. The program is global in scope and emphasizes "management done right." The school is veteran-friendly and is currently a candidate for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Contact us for more information about the online MBA program.