Networking 101: Practice Makes Perfect

Throughout our internship we have had the opportunity to meet many inspiring leaders in DC. We were able to hear from these leaders and learn about their careers, education, and listen to their advice for us as we all start out our professional careers. A recurring theme that was emphasized during this time was the importance of relationships. We learned how the foundation to a prosperous career is building relationships with the people around you and most importantly - learning how to network with other like-minded professionals.

Prior to this internship I had heard about the importance of networking and been advised to practice it. I knew the basic tips and general overview of how to network, but it was during our time in DC that I was able to practice it and witness networking in action. The first instruction we received was to prepare our thirty second pitch - which included everything we wanted to highlight about ourselves that would fit within the first thirty second introduction we gave when meeting someone new.

We were able to practice our thirty second pitch during our time in DC and learned to really highlight our achievements and story. It was an empowering experience to learn how to advocate for ourselves and tell our story while also learning about how to build meaningful and lasting relationships with others.

I learned during this time that networking is something I enjoy! I love meeting new people and hearing their stories and interests. However, the practice of networking professionally was something I needed to practice, and I am grateful I was able to during our time in DC. I believe the greatest contributor to our success and interest in networking with the leaders we met in DC was the shared interest, passions, and stories we had. We met leaders who looked like us, who grew up similarly to us, and who genuinely wanted us to prosper and do well! This was what really encouraged me to challenge myself to network as best I could during this time and set up a lunch date and virtual meetings with some of the speakers we met.