Not to beat a dead horse or anything, but networking is extremely essential in landing any type of work opportunity : ) You'll be amazed at how many things in life are about who you know and 
not so much about what you know. While it is very important to know what you're doing and delivering good results, don't forget that you also need other people to know what great things you've accomplished so they can be an advocate for you when it comes to internships, jobs, promotions, etc. Ideally, you can have a mutual exchange type of relationship with those in your network where they help you in certain situations and you return the favor by helping them in other situations. You know, kind of like "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" (or something like that).
I know many people dread the notion of networking and prefer to avoid it at all costs. I completely understand those feelings because I've been there before. The good news is that there are avenues that make networking more accessible and convenient for you. One such avenue is professional associations. Organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters or National Association of Female Executives join together people in similar career fields and basically you have an instant network at your fingertips. You know the people in the organization are interested in at least some of the same things as you, so there is a conversation starter right there! And, a lot of the professional associations have student memberships that are specifically designed to get students acquainted with the profession and begin networking with the members.
You can start off finding one of these organizations by doing a simple internet search of the profession you're interested in. Spend some time browsing different organizations' web sites and see which ones interest you enough to actually attend an event and possibly join. I'm confident that if you join a professional association as a student you will not regret it!
**P.S. - another great place to start looking for a professional association may be the pre-professional groups on campus such as Pre-Law, Pre-Med, etc.
not so much about what you know. While it is very important to know what you're doing and delivering good results, don't forget that you also need other people to know what great things you've accomplished so they can be an advocate for you when it comes to internships, jobs, promotions, etc. Ideally, you can have a mutual exchange type of relationship with those in your network where they help you in certain situations and you return the favor by helping them in other situations. You know, kind of like "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" (or something like that).I know many people dread the notion of networking and prefer to avoid it at all costs. I completely understand those feelings because I've been there before. The good news is that there are avenues that make networking more accessible and convenient for you. One such avenue is professional associations. Organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters or National Association of Female Executives join together people in similar career fields and basically you have an instant network at your fingertips. You know the people in the organization are interested in at least some of the same things as you, so there is a conversation starter right there! And, a lot of the professional associations have student memberships that are specifically designed to get students acquainted with the profession and begin networking with the members.
You can start off finding one of these organizations by doing a simple internet search of the profession you're interested in. Spend some time browsing different organizations' web sites and see which ones interest you enough to actually attend an event and possibly join. I'm confident that if you join a professional association as a student you will not regret it!
**P.S. - another great place to start looking for a professional association may be the pre-professional groups on campus such as Pre-Law, Pre-Med, etc.
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The mission of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is to reduce the incidence of fraud and white-collar crime and to assist the Membership in its detection and deterrence. The Greater St. Louis Area chapter has members from multiple industries and disciplines. Student memberships are available through the national organization for those interested in the field of fraud prevention, detection, and auditing. The chapter holds a luncheon meeting every other month and welcomes you to attend! Please visit us at www.cfestl.org.
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