How College Students Can Build Their Network: Tips From A Professional Wingman

Thomas Edwards has the best title ever: The Professional Wingman. This twenty-something has a gift for networking and building relationships that last. Especially the romantic kind.

He’s so good at his work that outlets like the Wall Street Journal, CNN and Cosmopolitan have compared him to the romantic comedy character Will Smith portrayed in the 2005 film,  “Hitch.” We talked with the Philadelphia University graduate about how college students can successfully build relationships and expand their network.

What are some of the most blatant things people do wrong with relationship building?

The most blatant thing I’ve seen has been having a poor mentality going into a potential interaction. If you focus more on having a positive and fun impact on the person you’re speaking with instead of getting them to like you, you’ll be likely to have better interactions.

Being enthusiastic about life, what you’re doing and where you’re going can be very attractive to those around you. Combining that with having a “half glass full” mentality, and you have a great foundation for adding value.

We’ve all found ourselves at networking events which can be awkward. When we meet a stranger for the first time, what are some natural way to approach and start a conversation?

It’s best to follow my rule of 3 C’s: context, confidence and content. If you nail the first two, the third doesn’t really matter.

Read Thomas’ three tips and more on campus.about.me.

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Antonio Neves is the Director of Higher Education for about.me. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. You can find him on Twitter at @TheAntonioNeves.

 

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