Last summer I was having a conversation with a life long friend. Story was telling me about how much work it was taking her daughter around to look at colleges. I asked her if she was going to take her daughter to look at Ohio Wesleyan, the college that both Story and her husband attended and that I too attended years after they did. She told me that OWU was not good enough for her daughter. She had terrific grades and was looking at the best schools on the East Coast.
Initially I thought, how arrogant. OWU is a great school. It has increased the caliber of entering students. I would never be able to get in there today. But it wasn't until months later that I realized how right on target Story was. My thinking at this point in time was, gee, it really doesn't matter where you get your education. You learn what you learn. So if my boys (now 6 and 4) could get a bachelors degree from a state school, in the same 4 year time frame, why would I want or need to pay $50K+ at year in tuition to send them to an Ivy League school?
The contacts, that's why. Story realized that her daughter's chances of being successful were greater if she "hung" with the right people. Sure, having the prestigious school name on the resume wouldn't hurt, but it was about the people her daughter would meet and become friends with. This network of college friends and acquaintances will be how her daughter makes her way through life.
Story understands why knowing the right people will open the right doors, she has lived in the competitive communities around NYC. Almost anyone can get a degree if they want to. How then will these new graduates compete for the few jobs that exist? Through their networks/contacts/parents' networks.
Story's daughter has been raised by parents who understand and model networking. They are very well connected. Therefore, she will become active in her college. She will probably be in clubs or groups, maybe even a sorority, if the school has them. She will interact comfortably with alumni when they are on campus, realizing she should get to know them for future reference. She will organize and lead activities, meet lots of people and oh, yes, study enough to get good grades.
In sum, attending college is about building a network. I hope we have provided our college-bound kids with the right mindset so they understand how to build their much needed network.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
