As explained in the various assigned readings, networking is an essential element in building your
professional brand and in marketing yourself. Learning to network requires planning, practice, and
reflection. This assignment is designed to provide you with precisely that.
For this assignment, you must attend three professional events during the semester and attempt
some type of networking while you’re there. You should follow the PERM method (Plan, Execute,
Reflect, Modify) as explained in the PDF reading, “Introduction to Networking at Events.” Please
follow the steps below to complete the assignment.
- Select three professional events to attend. There are a number of different professional
events that can qualify for this assignment. Such events might include any of the following:
a. Conferences, symposia, workshops, training sessions, speaking events, etc.
b. Professional luncheons or dinners with at least 15 people in attendance.
c. Employment-oriented events such as company information sessions, company
presentations, or training sessions.
d. Professional chapter meetings or events for professional organizations.
e. Meet-up groups for professionals or targeted audiences.
f. Certain university-sponsored events, particularly those that attract employers or
professionals in addition to students.
g. If you are unsure whether an event will count for the assignment, please email the
instructor at least one week in advance of the event to request approval. - Learn about the event and, if possible, who will be there prior to attending. Write out your
networking goals, including the types and number of contacts you’ll make. Plan out a
strategy of how you’ll accomplish your goals. Make pre-event connections if possible. - Execute your strategy with the knowledge that you should be flexible in your approach.
Remember that your goal is to connect and offer value to others. While you are at the
event, please take a selfie/photograph of you with signage, a schedule, etc. to put into the
final assignment report. (You can do this discreetly; it doesn’t have to be a glamourselfie.) - Conduct any follow-up activities within 24 hours of the event.
- Reflect on your success and failures regarding the execution phase. What worked? What
didn’t work as well as you had liked? What could you have done differently or better? - Modify your approach in order to improve it for the next event.
- Write a report on your set of networking activities following the instructions below.
NOTE: During the semester, be sure to record pertinent information after each event so that
your final assignment is easier to construct.
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After conducting your networking activities, write up your results as follows: - Cover Page: Name, Panther ID, Major, Minor, Certificate(s), Assignment Title
- Introduction: Discuss the purpose for Networking.
- For each of the three networking activities, complete the following:
a. Event Information
i. Name and Type of Event
ii. Date of Event
iii. Location of Event
iv. Sponsoring Organization
v. Photograph/Image of you by the event signage, schedule, etc.
b. Planning: What did you do to plan your networking activities? What were your
goals?
c. Execution: What did you end up doing during the networking experience? What
successes and failures did you have? What were your follow-up activities?
d. Reflection: How did you feel about those successes and failures? What did you
learn that you could improve upon for the next event? What changes would you
make to your behavior for the next event?
e. Modification (only for Event 2 and Event 3): How did you change your planning
or execution based on what you learned from the previous event? - Synthesis and Summary: Discuss what you learned from this exercise. What did you learn
about networking? What did you learn about yourself? Synthesize your learning from the
various parts of the assignment and create a summary that you can review in the future.
By the due date shown on Canvas, submit the final assignment as a Word or PDF file (PDF is
strongly preferred) with Times New Roman 12-point font, single-spaced (with spacing between
sections and/or paragraphs as desired), appropriate headings and subheadings, and page numbering.
Grading Criteria: