Mr. Jackie Hendrix; Chair, Shoals Chamber of Commerce & Owner, Party Pros, Inc

"Instead of telling the world what you're eating for breakfast, you can use social networking to do something that's meaningful."

 

- Edward Norton

 

 

"Best results are often achieved well before you need a job, by consistently networking so that when you find yourself job-hunting you have a large network to work with."

 

- Erik Qualman

 

 

"It's all about people. It's about networking and being nice to people and not burning any bridges. Your book is going to impress, but in the end it is people that are going to hire you."

 

- Mike Davidson

 

 

Networking

 

       Florence, Alabama is a great town in which to practice networking. The longer I attend UNA and the more I get to know different people related to different areas that interest me, the more I realize that they are interconnected. Networking is an extremely valuable skill and/or resource that is not required for success, but it does speed up the process and enables you to discover opportunities you may have not otherwise have known about.

 

       A business professor of mine said not too long ago that "in order to be successful in the commercial realm, one either has to be an extrovert, or an introvert that is good at pretending to be an extrovert." The technology of today is concentrating more and more on the idea of interconnection and easy communication. Success today is based upon who can acquired the most information that quickest and networking can be key in this process.

 

       There are several professors at UNA that will help you find opportunities if you are willing to look and work for them. All of the professors seem very dedicated and interested in whatever they are teaching, but the thing that I greatly appreciate about UNA professors is that many of them work so hard to help students in any way that they can, whether its on their own time or not; the thing is, you have to be willing to do your part so its helpful as well as challenging.

 

       I used the name technique that Jackie Hendrix demonstrated to us during Forum at a Model United Nations conference in Atlanta. I can remember the features of a person to an almost supernatural extent but when it comes to names, I always forget to remind myself to remember their names. That is one drawback in networking: you meet so many people that sometimes it is hard to keep up with all of them and how you know them. I heard about a greatly helpful tip in a lecture once that, whenever you receive a business card, don't immediately throw it away but write something on the back of it to remember why you received it in the first place so that you have it available as a resource later. I've practiced this ever since.

       I enjoyed the way in which Mr. Hendrix was able to relate to us and give us helpful tips and encouragement. I actually wasn't aware that the Chamber of Commerce was operated by volunteers.