Creating Your Own Job Opportunities Through Networking, Doing

With two elite post-secondary institutions in The Forest City, each year London graduates a steady stream of young talent. The question then becomes, how do you retain them?

The easy answer is to have job opportunities available for them. Everything else is ancillary.

But it's also not that simple. If you have jobs, students may come – but do they have the skills they need to thrive? We're not talking about strictly education, but those softer skills that often take a back seat in the pursuit of academics.

London's not alone in this challenge. As part of a recent freelance assignment, I've had the luxury of speaking with similar communities across Canada. And the story is the same – students need to get out and get noticed. And businesses need to be there to welcome them, even if there isn't a job on the table right now.

It's something we're trying to do more of at Digital Echidna. We've always been a strong supporter of internship and co-op programs, as well as events like London Economic Development Corporation's Students 2 Business conference. But what else can we do? What advice and support can we give to help students navigate their way through an employment network where who you know can play a key role in helping you secure a job.

You may remember that we posted this blog for Students2Business, where we outlined seven actions graduating students should be taking, because TROUBLE-makers get noticed.

Recently, Digital Echidna's owner Andrew McClenaghan participated in Emerging Leaders' Starting Grounds initiative. And his advice to the participants is pretty consistent – don't just talk, do something.

"I was impressed with the caliber of the people I met," McClenaghan said. "I encouraged them all to not be overly reliant upon the job market listings. Instead, get out there and network in the community."

From S2B to today's TechAlliance Gearing Up for Growth conference, from industry nights to assorted networking events, there are plenty of opportunities for students to get out there and help business owners place a face to a name.

And, as Andrew explained, don't just tell people what you can do. Show them.

"Create your own job," he said. "The digital market has a very low barrier to entry and, at the minimum, you should start freelancing while you're doing your job search.

"By doing this, you can show your work to prospective employers when you are interviewing, as opposed to simply showing your education."

But don't wait until graduation approaches to take steps. Get on companies' radar well before that.

Through S2B and other events that Echidna staffers have participated in, we've had a few eager students come in and get to know us. We've been happy to provide office tours, sit-downs with staffers who are in the student's preferred field, and ongoing mentoring/advice-giving relationships.

Let's face it: we're all proud of the work we do and we're happy when someone takes an interest in not just what we do, but why. The biggest fail I saw at S2B was one student who spent his entire time talking about himself and bragging about his limited accomplishments. The students who took an active interest in the work and were eager to learn more were far more interesting prospects, simply because they know what they don't know.

It's a hard lesson to learn and it's something we all go through – especially after school. We think we're educated; we think we have all the latest and greatest answers. But we don't have the experience and the practical application of the knowledge. We don't have the wisdom.

By reaching out to business leaders, networking, and getting involved, you can get a head start on that wisdom and be seen as a valuable potential asset to an organization. And you don't need to wait for an official event – if there's a company that appeals to you, approach them.

What's the worst that can happen? They say no? But the potential reward is great. And even if you don't end up with a job, you get information that can help future efforts see success.

Now I turn it over to you. In your experience, in your chosen field, how important is it to play the "who you know" game? If you've been in the biz for years, what's the one tip you'd give. And if you're new to the game, tell us how it's going.