For our second to last day in Ireland, we had a guest speaker and we did our post site visit presentations. The guest speaker was a recruiter named Rob Cullen who came to talk to us about networking. He talked about the importance of networking and some techniques to use. I liked learning about this topic because it is so relevant as we enter our careers and it can open so many opportunities. He talked about a variety of networking techniques, including what to talk about, how long to talk, how to stand, and how to present yourself. One major takeaway from his presentation was that it matters how many people know you, not how many people you know.

Based on his discussion and our experiences it seems as though these techniques are universal. In America and in Ireland I have learned the same ideas about networking. There are clearly differences in their culture, but this does not have a huge impact on how to network. One specific technique that I want to implement is focusing on listening. Many people are only focused on what they are saying, and not what the other person is saying. This makes it hard to create a string connection. Another technique is creating open circles. He discussed how you should always have open body language and continue to invite new people into the conversation. This will help you meet more people and seem like you know more people.

After this guest speaker we had a short break to get lunch. Then we went back to Griffith College to do our group presentations. The three groups that presented did really well because we had all or most of the information we needed. It was nice to see everybody’s projects coming together and that we are prepared to do the final report. Overall we had a productive day learning about networking and doing our presentations.