With the rise of media and social networking, many online resources have become readily available to students to help them build their professional network. LinkedIn, Handshake and Loyola Connect are three networking sites that Loyola actively encourages students to use. Representatives from Alumni Relations and the Career Center have been campaigning on campus to raise awareness about these new and improved sites for students.

These resources are expected to increase not only the number of students who graduate Loyola with a secure job, but also the number of students that have experience with internships and professional networking before they graduate.

LinkedIn provides students with a platform to present themselves to a broad range of employers and like-minded professionals. Through LinkedIn, students able to connect with companies from their field of interest as well as professors, alumni, colleagues, and mentors

Assistant Vice President of Career Services at Loyola Dr. James M. Dickinson recommends that students take the time to craft genuine invitations to send to potential connections, as it increases their level of interest and professionalism perceived by others online.

Handshake is a similar networking platform, but it allows employers to directly contact students from Loyola that have the desired set of skills, experience, and educational background that they seek from employees.

Once a student has set up an account and uploaded the appropriate information, the site begins to compile lists of available jobs, internships, upcoming events, and potential professional connections that apply to that specific student’s field of interest.

“After signing up for Handshake, I can confidently say that this system is a huge asset for all Loyola students,” Nicole Postighone ’18 said. The system allowed me to enter my preferences easily and has suggested relevant campus events, positions, and workshops that can help me develop professionally.”

The Career Center also uses Handshake to help students make appointments at the Career Center and to register them for a variety of networking events both at Loyola and off campus.

Around campus, the Career Center is using a yellow chair shaped as a hand to promote this new networking site to students and to encourage them to be “Loyola Ready.”

Loyola Connect is the most recent networking platform Loyola has launched. This resource is specifically designed to connect current Loyola students with Loyola alumni. In comparison to LinkedIn and Handshake, Loyola Connect helps students to build relationships with fellow members of the Loyola community who have received the same educational experience and who work in their desired professions.

Not all networking has to be done online, however. The Career Center hosts various events throughout the year in order to give students face-to-face networking experience. These include career fairs, company meet-and-greet events, and interview preparation sessions.

The first major event of the semester, Applying for the Real World, will be on Oct. 4 from 5-7 p.m. This event is open to all class years and is an opportunity for students to network with Loyola Alumni, as well as many companies from a variety of fields.

Links to these resources and much more can be found online for all students and alumni to access at: http://www.loyola.edu/department/career-center.