Students Attention Students: The SOM Annual Conference Is the First Step to Success After Graduation Amy Schulte Minnesota Life Market Research In a completely non-scientific survey, I polled a small sample of my friends and colleagues to see how they found jobs after graduating from college. Of the 10 I surveyed, eight had found full-time, permanent jobs immediately after leaving college. Of those eight, seven had a connection at their employer prior to applying for the job. The remaining two friends ended up working for temp agencies for as long as two years until they found a full-time, permanent position. What's the point of my informal survey? Making connections, or "networking," before you leave college can lead to a much more successful job search. Additionally, Sociologists of Minnesota's (SOM) annual conference is a valuable resource for networking on many levels. I graduated from the College of St. Catherine three years ago with a degree in sociology and written communications. I had been told since my freshman year to network, network, network, but two things made me hesitant to take the advice. First, I was shy, so approaching a stranger to network seemed no more appealing than stepping on shards of glass with bare feet. Second, I was busy with a full class load, working 15-25 hours a week, and writing/editing for the school newspaper. I thought I didn't have time to network, at least until my final years of college, when I realized that networking is simple. As graduation day loomed, I thought instead of going right into graduate school, I might want to obtain some applied experience. Unfortunately, I didn't know any applied sociologists or have the slightest clue about how to get such an internship. Then I remembered an adjunct professor who taught my methods class the year before. She was completing her doctorate at the University of Minnesota and working in their Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement. I hadn't spoken to her in a year, but with some guidance from my sociology advisor at St. Kate's, I gave her a call. As it turned out, she actually remembered me, and she had an opening for an intern that summer. That's when it clicked: networking opens doors, and networking isn't hard. Networking is less abstract than it sounds, and it doesn't mean approaching strangers. I think of networking as considering every contact I meet not only an acquaintance but also a resource. That doesn't mean that you should try to meet people with the sole purpose of furthering your career or education. The best contacts I have made are true advisors. People who you know now can become great resources in the future and can include friends, coworkers, bosses, professors, and career development professionals. It is in your best interest to maintain relationships or connections with those people because many of them know you the best and can help you out the most. I joined SOM in the hopes of making just those kinds of connections. Since becoming the central student rep in 2000, I have met many accomplished sociologists. I was surprised to see the variety of jobs sociologists could hold and in how many industries sociologists are valued. I also got to meet directors of various sociology graduate programs, which helped me consider what path I wanted to take after graduation. SOM can be a great resource for any student. Applied sociologists, students and academic sociologists sit on the executive board, and each of them offers a wealth of knowledge about their field. Every conference multiplies that knowledge base by as many people who attend it. Even the fellow students you meet while at the conference might someday be in a position to help you or you them. In short, any student hoping to pursue sociology as a career would miss out on a lot by not attending this year's SOM conference. I was one of seven among my friends and colleagues to find a job through a network. In fact, I was offered two jobs, both of which were referred to me by professors. To determine of if my not-so-random poll was accurate, I looked up statistics on networking and its correlation to job placement. As it turns out, it is estimated that 60 to 70 percent of jobs are found through networking, which seems fairly representative of my friends. To help those who are still apprehensive about networking, I found a couple of Web sites that offer some advice: www.thingamajob.com/career/articles/alfe/010627_college_grad_tips.shtml; www.quintcareers.com/networking_timetable.html. Use these Web sites as starting points and begin to think about all of the contacts you've made so far. How many of those people could you approach for advice or guidance? They could be the base of your network. Then come to this year's SOM conference to add a diverse body of sociologists to your existing network that you'll rely on for years to come. >Society for Applied Sociology Student Problem Solving Competition ASA Honors Program The ASA Honors Program is a wonderful opportunity for sociology majors to come to the Annual Meeting, meet other students, and learn about the profession. Using Sociology in the Workplace The persons listed below are alumni of St. Cloud State University's Applied Sociology program. Click on their names to see how they have used sociology in their careers. The career descriptions originally appeared in the Fall 2001 issue of Sociograph. At that time, these seven persons made up the Applied Sociology Alumni Advisory Board at St. Cloud State, and most of them continue to serve in that capacity. The descriptions appear as they did in Sociograph in 2001. Although some of the persons have changed jobs since then, we hope you agree that their comments about the usefulness of sociology still have relevance. Karla Kirtland Anderson, President, Kirtland Consulting Mary Christen Czech, Freelance Writer, St. Joseph, Minnesota David Francis, Senior Manager of Strategy and Research, The Toro Co. John Kaluza Tracy Schirmers, Senior Vocational Counselor, Minnesota Workforce Center - Anoka County Daniel Storkamp, Director of Interagency Management Unit, Minnesota Department of Corrections Molly Wilson