SAMM Event Review: The Art of Networking

Did you know that Networking accounts for about 87% of business in the market place? At such a high figure, it is highly essential that every student be equipped with the necessary skills that will carry them through the course of their employment and career. As a wrap up of the semester, the Students’ Association of Management and Marketing (SAMM) organised a networking event for students to learn all about networking and then put it into practice.

Dressed up in preppy business attire on the evening of 17 May, a group of over 40 students presented their tickets at the door and excitedly found their seats in the lecture theatre. One by one, professionals from the industry including Talent2, Deloitte, Forethought Research, Australian Human Resource Institute, AT Kearney, Venuemob, Australian Marketing Institute and the Faculty of Business and Economics streamed into the lecture theatre and also found their seats among students. To kick off the event, our President and founder, Sigourney Young, introduced SAMM to our guests and the speaker of the day, Sacha Koffman, Program Director, Talent2.

Sacha touched on two main points, namely to know the market and know yourself. Acquiring information about the market requires seeking for answers to questions such as what industries are out there, what they are doing, who is someone in my network I know there and how can to make contact with them. Knowing yourself requires soul searching into the impression you would like to leave and remembered and other qualities of yourself. He summed up networking as an ongoing and integral part of everyday activity and homework is needed before approaching your target.

Soon after the talk, both students and professionals made their way up to the student lounge to put networking into practice over refreshments. Equipped with an introduction to networking and a shiny glass of wine or beverage, conversations sprang up all over the room and it was not long before everyone who stepped in was engaged in some form of social interaction. The night ended with the announcement of the winner of our semester prize – one lucky SAMM member who attended all of our events this semester walked away earning the unique chance to job-shadow with Brooke Young, the Director of Marketing and Commercial Engagement at the University of Melbourne. Another prize was also given away for the winner of the raffle for the evening. Congratulations to both winners!

SAMM would like to thank everyone who attended and made this event a great success. We would also like to thank our speaker, Sacha Koffman and all industry professionals who took up time to give valuable insights to our members and the Department of Management and Marketing for their ongoing support.

Look out for us next semester for more exciting events on Management & Marketing!

If you could like to find out more about SAMM, become a member or get involved as a speaker or sponsor please visit us at www.unimelbsamm.com or email contact@unimelbsamm.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/unimelbsamm