In the other hand, during the last week I tried to communicate with a U of I professor called Jean, expert in my field and great researcher in the Nanotechnology field. As he just emailed me back this week, we are meeting next Wednesday to talk about some research opportunities, about what is nanotechnology, give me some explanation about what he does and that I can show him some of my crazy ideas. I am really willing to meet him and why not, being part of a research project in his area.
To conclude I am now part of EWOB (Entrepreneur,s without borders) and as a networking opportunity, precisely today, some Croatians are arriving to the university for one week to make some activities, to discuss business and other topics. I think this would be a really interesting networking opportunity, beside that I am hosting one of this Croatians. Due that this two last are this next weekend I'll try to post a brief explanation later on what this two last experiences resulted in.
Learning a second language opens one's opportunity to know more people from different cultures. I can see that you have made good networking in your Italian Class. Not only you communicate with them in class, but also you guys hanged out and socialized outside class. That is a nice chance to expand your networking by knowing even more friends from them. And more academically, you tried to contact with the professor in the study filed which interests you very much. This is also a progress in your networking; at meantime, I suggest you may prepare some knowledge about nano-tech in advance so that when you talk with professor, you can show him your passion in this field and ground knowledge but not only some "crazy ideas". I mean, crazy ideas is good, however, since it is time for us to take science serious with precise details and logical thinking, crazy ideas are much less academic. And I believe the professor expects feasibility and critics thinking more than mere fancy ideas.
ResponderEliminarOk, so getting a little personal now, I always find it really hard to start talking to people I don't know. I find it much easier to have fate bring me together with others (such as an assigned class group) but that method is obviously not great for networking. Life is what you make of it, of course. What sort of ice breakers or conversation starters do you use when picking someone out of a crowd (or classroom) to talk to?
ResponderEliminarIn class, Cory talked about how he totally cold emailed his hero. In your blog you talk about one of the people you look up to, Professor Jean. How did you come to know of him? Is he one of your professors? I also have a follow up question. If you did just cold email him like Cory, what where your first words in the email? That may sound like a really weird question so let me clarify. I know now a days people seem to be talking a little more laid back approach to language. So did you start the email with "Hello Jean" to convey a relaxed tone. Or did you use something more formal like "Dear". What do you think is the best language to use in an email, like the one you wrote to that professor?
I want to ask how do you cold email people?I am really bad at that.I think your friendship with these two girls you met in Italian class will go along way as you guys have the same interests.I also would like to ask what exactly is EWOB as someone told me it is a really good thing to join?
ResponderEliminar