By Jacob Drouin

I hate hearing it. You hate hearing it. But unfortunately, it’s true. A successful public relations career is largely about who you know. According to Forbes, around 80% of job opportunities go unposted, which means your best shot at landing the position you want is to start making connections. If you are new to networking, check out this beginner’s guide from EVERYTHING-PR. Fortunately, opportunities to expand your network are everywhere if you look for them, especially as a student in the SOJC.

Who to Contact?

The scariest part of networking is getting started, but you have more options than you think. Talk to your professors, advisors and fellow students as a jumping-off point for building social skills. They can all potentially put you in touch with contacts in the communications field. Another option is alumni, as SOJC graduates are everywhere. Most of them were sitting in class panicking about their futures just a few years ago just like you. You can find them on LinkedIn, including in the PR sequence’s own PR Network Group.

Know Your Channels

In SOJC PR classes, we learn how to use different media channels depending on the target audience. Making connections works the same way. If you know someone personally, you can send them an email or a dm. However, if you haven’t been in touch yet, it’s better to reach out through LinkedIn or another social media platform where they can see who you are before responding. You can’t build connections without building trust, so think about where someone would want to receive the first message.

Research

People can spot a lack of effort from a mile away, and that goes double for professional communicators. If you want to connect with someone, you first have to do your research and give them a reason to respond. What is special about them? What experience do they have that you can learn from? Everyone loves to talk about themselves, so find a position or campaign to ask them about before you reach out.

The most important thing is to not get discouraged. Opportunities and dead ends are equally everywhere, however, you won’t find either if you aren’t looking. All you can do is continue to take the wins with the losses and keep networking.