Today’s speaker Rob Cullen was so interesting and his presentation was very contemporary to many of our current lives. Networking is extremely important to help get internships, jobs, and open doors for future opportunities. Two of the best practices in networking are to be concise and be comfortable with talking to strangers. Many working professionals have limited time, so when you do have the opportunity to network with them, it is important to keep your conversation short, effective, and concise. I am also someone who is very comfortable with talking to strangers and making a connection which is very important to do to avoid any awkward conversations. Rob Cullen also talked about how networking in Ireland is a little different compared to other places around the world. As we have been able to see and learn through our different site visits, the employees are extremely diverse and from all over the world. This means that there may be communication differences, cultural differences, and other obstacles as well. There are also a few disadvantages when it comes to networking online. For one, it is much easier to remember someone while in person rather than through a screen. Also, there can be alot of technology issues that could make a conversation a little awkward. For example, I recently had a job interview over ZOOM, and the interviewer was muted for a few minutes, and I was trying to communicate with her that she was muted, but she did not understand, which made things a little bit awkward when she had to explain everything she just said. Although, there are also some positive aspects of online networking including convenience and affordability. It is significantly easier to join a ZOOM than travel somewhere to meet someone for coffee. This also leads to online networking being more cost-efficient. Without having to travel somewhere and possibly pay for a hotel room, food, etc, it is once again much easier to join a call from the comfort of your own home. I enjoyed listening to Rob speak today and three of the big ideas that I will incorporate into your future networking opportunities include that impressions are everything, no matter what you’re doing you are networking, and it is important to find something in common. I like how Rob touched on the importance of how what you wear is important and it is so important to present yourself professionally because the first five minutes after meeting someone is very impressionable. I also never thought about how just chatting with friends about summer internships and jobs would be considered networking. Rob also talked about how important it is to connect with something when networking. This makes total sense as when you find something to connect with someone, conversations flow much better! Overall, I enjoyed listening to Rob’s presentation today and learned a few great tips for future networking opportunities.