Once you’ve graduated, the next hurdle is to get onto the career ladder. If this is the first time you’ve given much thought to your career, you will probably find that, in the big wide world, nobody is waiting for you. There is a way of preventing this: and that way is networking. People who engage in career networking and forge an initial network of contacts early on will usually find it easier to gain a foothold on the ladder.

What are networks?
We are all, each and every one of us, part of a number of networks, which include not just social relationships and contacts such as family and friends, but also early contacts with companies. Use these contacts: a recommendation from them could be your passport to your company of choice. But remember that, although networking can make it easier for you to open doors, you still have to open those doors yourself. Now it is up to you to prove that you are the right person for the job.

The Internet as an information resource
Before setting about networking, you should first think about the path you want to follow once you have graduated. Ask yourself: What companies or sectors appeal to me? What job would I like to do one day? Being well prepared and well-informed facilitates that first contact. When it comes to finding the information you need, the Internet has to be the ultimate resource - you can use companies’ websites to gain a first impression without committing yourself.
At www.ciba.com/myfuture, Ciba offers you an information platform designed especially for students and graduates where you will find answers to your most pertinent questions, including information about the company, internships, career opportunities, job portraits and much more.

Forging contacts
Once you’ve found out about your company of choice, what you need next are the contacts. Take our tip, and go to college and university job fairs and networking events. Besides being of interest to job-seeking graduates, they also provide undergraduates with an early opportunity to test the water and forge initial contacts. Use the opportunity to talk to representatives of a company and leave a lasting, good impression, even if a job cannot be offered to you right there and then.
Ciba attends a number of these job fairs each year; see the Events Calendar for details.
Our next tip is: try to take part in in-house events, and join the select few who have the opportunity to look behind the scenes at a company. These occasions are sure to provide lots of opportunities to talk to people and make connections. With these events too, active participation is the key to forging successful contacts. Ciba organizes three to four site tours a year for undergraduates in a variety of disciplines, with the aim of providing those who attend with an insight into the world of specialty chemicals.
As well as being a chance to supplement your academic training with invaluable practical experience, internships are a unique opportunity to build your own network within a company. Once you are already part of a company, you have every conceivable opportunity to build an internal network. Take an interest, be inquisitive and seek out contact with employees from every possible area. Don’t expect contacts to materialize out of thin air: it’s up to you to actively seek them out. You will find that, in the vast majority of cases, your interest will pay off, and it will be that much easier to make contact in future.
Ciba offers more than 60 internships each year to both undergraduates and graduates.
For more details, see Open Jobs.

Cultivating a network
How do you keep your network alive? The best way is to make a record of your contacts and continually update them, so that you can keep track of things. Bear in mind that you will have to cultivate your network: it will hardly reflect very well on you if, after a five-year silence, you suddenly burst back onto the scene seeking somebody’s assistance. There is no general rule as to when and how often you should get in touch - but remember, there is such a thing as too much. If you keep in mind that networks function on the basis of trust and mutual support, you won’t go far wrong.