The West Virginia Coding Club again welcomed Shannon Bisceglia, Client Success Manager and Jenavieve Dance, Career Advisor and Community Manager for Treehouse.
Treehouse's mission is to diversify the tech industry through accessible education, unlocking the door to opportunity, and empowering people to achieve their dreams. Offering courses to individual learners, internal company teams, and third-party education providers, Treehouse helps to bridge the gap between formal educational institutions and on-the-job requirements.
Shannon and Jenavieve continued their series of imparting valuable information. This meeting focused on the five most important networking skills. (And why you need to master them!)
1 GET COMFORTABLE WITH COMMUNICATION
a. Practice active listening
b. Show genuine interest in others and their experiences
c. Exchange contact info (LinkedIn)
d. Follow up promptly (24 to 48 hours)
e. Express gratitude and reiterate points of interest from conversation
f. Stay in touch with your network
g. Share relevant articles, congratulate them on achievements
2 CREATE A STRONG PORTFOLIO
a. Having a professional portfolio serves as a visual representation of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments
b. Create a personal website that has your portfolio, projects and achievements
c. Github.com
3 LEARN HOW TO PITCH YOURSELF
a. Elevator pitch 30-60 seconds (who you are, what you can do and why you are valuable)
b. Tailor your pitch
c. Rehearse, more practice develops more confidence
4 PRACTICE VALUE SIGNALING
a. Clearly understand your unique strengths and the value you have
b. During networking conversations, use specific examples to demonstrate your skills
c. Discuss how you can provide value for future opportunities
d. Show enthusiasm
5 FORM LONG TERM CONNECTIONS
a. Jot down key points about your connections
b. Reach out periodically to check in, offer assistance or share valuable resources
Networking can become a powerful tool for advancing your career and professional growth. Practice and build your network for mutual benefit.
To learn more about Treehouse, click the link: www.teamtreehouse.com
Dan McElroy, President of WV Coding Club, shared, "Thank you Jenavieve for those insightful points on networking with others. Practicing and learning this will provide a foundation for potential future opportunities."
Thank you Jenavieve and Shannon!
Keep Coding!