Every Thursday at 4:15 sharp, I'm present and accounted for at the meeting of the Iona College Student Government Association. Normally, I don't have a whole lot to say about the proceedings, but the SGA E-Board has been trying to bring in lots of guest speakers as of late, and this week's was a woman named Kari Welch.
Ms. Welch works for a company called Headway, which she described as a "human resources support firm." Her lecture was about networking, the process of creating and maintaining useful "contacts." She told us how (approximately) 61% of jobs people get are through networking. She told us how there are (approximately) 1 million resumes posted on Google each year.
So all of this probably sounds harmless enough. But still, all throughout the presentation, I couldn't shake a really negative feeling towards what I was hearing.
Just about everything is a networking activity, we were told. From taking a plane trip to going to the gym to attending a Christmas party, whenever we come in contact with other people, we're presented with the opportunity to network.
We were given a set of steps to follow when networking. Before entering into a conversation, it was recommended that we have a predetermined "objective." We were also instructed to prepare an "exit strategy." The example given was, "Excuse me, I've got to go talk to my friend!"
The final step of the networking process was a "call to action," in which contact information - perhaps via business cards - was to be exchanged with the intent of following up on the given objective at a later time.
An easel in the front of the room served as a visual aid as Ms. Welch spoke. The writing on each page was peppered with the acronym "WIIFM?" ("What's In It For Me?").
So maybe I'm making it out to be a bigger deal than it was, but I don't think I'd ever be able to actively pursue networking like this. The whole thing just feels soulless and impersonal.
I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine isn't a way of life, right?
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