The Power of Networking & Networking At Work

Carly enjoys holding Vienna at Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl Day at work. If only she could’ve taken her home!

By Dean’s Intern Carly Ferreira at Discovery Communications

Network, network, network. As a senior at AU, I’ve heard this word many times. To me, networking always sounded so stiff and insincere, which is why I never looked forward to doing it. But, over time and as I begin to apply for my first full time job, I now realize how important networking actually is.

I am in my last semester of the agency rotational program at Discovery Communications and while my work this semester is very important, I find myself placing a bigger emphasis on networking within the Company than I ever have before. So far, I’ve gone on several coffee dates with people who hold different positions within the Company. My interests’ include marketing, publicity/PR and talent relations, and I’ve talked to several people in all of these fields across all networks. Grabbing a coffee and asking questions about what they do on a daily basis and how they got to where they are today has proved extremely beneficial, and I am very thankful to my manager for setting up these connections.

Besides networking with a great amount of people in the Company higher up than me, I also think it’s important to network and get to know my peers, which is why I try to set up regular lunch dates with other interns every week. After all, these are the people who I may work alongside with one day! Plus, it’s always fun and beneficial getting to know people who are at the same life and job search stage as I am.

Along with networking, I’ve also been learning a lot about account management, specifically within an agency. I really like the project management focus of account management as well as getting to be a part of the creative process. I recently was conducting research for a new TLC campaign and created a catchy hashtag for the show that is now being featured on the show’s new digital ads. Exciting!