I remember learning about the structure of this seminar course at the beginning of the semester. It sounded interesting. Alumni would come in, share their experiences, discuss their careers, and offer insight into the industry.

At first, I saw it as a chance to learn, but as the weeks went by, I realized it offered more.

This was actually a networking opportunity, even if it didn’t seem like it at first.

The truth is, I didn’t have much experience with networking, and I definitely wasn’t a natural at it.

I wasn’t the type to reach out to people or start conversations with professionals. Even sending a LinkedIn request to a stranger felt intimidating. But I’ve learned that staying in your comfort zone never leads to big rewards.

Showing up isn’t enough; you have to make yourself stand out.

Lessons from the Speakers

When Pranoy Kamra gave his recent talk, he focused on B2B marketing and said that trust is the most important trait. That idea really stood out to me. In B2B, you are not trying to win over just one person right away. Instead, you build relationships over time.

Networking works the same way. You can’t build a strong connection from just one conversation. It takes time. You have to show up often, build trust, and share what makes you stand out.

When Barry Ling shared his career journey, it gave me a new perspective. His career path wasn’t linear. It reminded me that things do not always have to be perfectly planned. What stood out most was what he said about communication. It is not just about talking. It is about knowing how to join in, ask questions, and really put yourself forward.

That made me think about my own behaviour.

How many times have I stayed quiet when I could have spoken up?

How many chances have I missed just because I didn’t speak up?

Then I remembered Kay Layne’s talk and her advice about being prepared.

She talked about how important it is to be ready for the opportunity you want, not just the one you have. I’ll always remember how she kept a full outfit in her car, so she’d be ready whenever her dream chance came along.

When that chance finally came, she was ready.

It’s easy to say you want certain opportunities, but are you really ready for them?

My Networking Experience: Getting Uncomfortable

When the semester began, I wasn’t really putting myself out there.

I attended class, listened to the speakers, took notes, and asked meaningful questions. But I wasn’t putting it into practice.

I started to think about how others might see me. If someone looked at my LinkedIn profile, would they understand my interests? Would they know that I was serious about marketing?

I connected more with my classmates, and group projects helped me build stronger relationships. Many classmates even offered to refer me for jobs. I did not expect that, but it showed me how important these connections are.  I also reached out to some of the seminar speakers, added them on LinkedIn, and followed their work to learn more about their careers.

Outside class, I attended events and put myself in new situations. It felt awkward at first, but I got used to introducing myself and sharing my interest in marketing. These conversations led to connecting on LinkedIn and staying in touch.

I realized networking isn’t just a single big event. It’s made up of many small actions that build up over time. The more I practiced, the more natural it became.

Rethinking My Approach

My mindset also changed when it came to searching for an internship.

At first, I believed that applying to as many roles as possible was the best approach. Over time, I learned that being intentional is more important.

Instead of quickly sending out applications, I began focusing on understanding each role, updating my resume for each one, and thinking about how I present myself. Well-prepared, targeted applications stand out much more than sending lots of generic ones.

I also started to see how important connections can be. A strong connection can help you get your foot in the door, but after that, it’s up to you to show what makes you memorable.

Looking back, I see there are things I could have done differently:

• Reaching out to more people sooner
• Following up more consistently
• Volunteering or putting myself in more spaces to meet others

Now, I try to be more thoughtful with both my applications and my connections.

Looking Ahead

From now on, I plan to make networking a bigger part of how I build my career.

I also want to be more thoughtful about how I present myself. When people see me online, I hope they can easily tell:

• Who I am
• Where I am at
• Where I want to go in my career

So, I’ll focus on building a stronger personal brand and showing up more consistently.

This is my plan for building my LinkedIn presence and personal brand going forward.

• Post more often on LinkedIn
• Focus on short posts with strong visuals to clearly communicate ideas.
• Start posting videos to try new formats.
• Stick to my publishing calendar to stay consistent.
• Be more intentional with my personal brand and how I present myself.

Before starting this program, I was already interested in:

• Product marketing
• Lifecycle marketing
• Email marketing

The seminars helped me explore and develop these interests in new ways:

• Stephanie Joseph-Flatts showed me a side of loyalty marketing I hadn’t thought about before, and it sparked a new interest for me.
• Mike Maddigan strengthened my interest in owned media management and helped me see how it works in real situations.

These experiences helped me get clearer about where I want to go and how I plan to move forward.