Alpha Kappa Psi recently partnered with Ernst and Young to present to Binghamton University students. Kathleen Corrigan, E&Y’s campus recruiter, and Marc S. Dieli, Assurance Partner, spoke on the importance of networking in business.

According to Corrigan and Dieli, the first step in networking is putting yourself out there and coming prepared. Do your research on the firm or person, always leave with a business card, and have a brief elevator pitch ready. The team went on to speak about developing and maintain these relationships through sending professional emails and asking for advice. Refer to a specific topic you talked about to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Further, it is beneficial to attend social events sponsored by companies so that employers can know you on a social and professional level. Corrigan and Dieli also mentioned the importance of online privacy of personal pages such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as this information is largely open to the public.

Overall, the event’s main message was to attend as many events and talk to as many people as possible. It is important to develop relationships with a wide variety of people because recruiters always refer applicants to each other. The more developed your network, the larger your chances of success.