Together with a select group of the Google Digital Academy, I was able to go to Digital First, a networking and exposition event organised by influential digital marketeers. At the time I was working on a new idea (an investing bank aimed at students), which gave me the opportunity to talk to marketeers and crowdfund-owners about the idea. They were happy to help me out and I still have their contact details in the form of business cards and on LinkedIn. 

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Another networking event I attended, was the one of ABInbev, the beer gigant. They organised a lecture at UGent and afterwards you had the opportunity to talk with the vice-president of commerce and the students of the Global Management Traineeship programme. I left my contact details there and I have been contacted for an internship already. Unfortunately this was too soon. The two people who joined the GMT are among my LinkedIn connections now. On the bottom of this page you can find the link to my LinkedIn profile, which I now use for about three or four years. 

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I started by adding parents of my fellow class members in secondary school. One of them is vice-president Sales and Marketing of Intel corporation, which makes him a very interesting contact. I do not have a lot of contact with his daughter anymore, but we still meet occasionally. 

When I joined my cycling club last year, I had and still have very close contact to Emile Elzinga, who is an RA accountant. From 2017 onwards, he will be working at KPMG as senior manager, after an interesting career at EY and interim RA for a couple of years. I would say he is a warm contact. During my search for a way to accomplish my idea, he was a good source of information as well. 

A fellow student at secondary school, Derya Aydogan is now working in London for Precise Consultants (a firm specialised in off-shore companies). I have helped her out with a play she rewrote (Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) and I still have contact with her on a regular basis. 

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For next year, I would like to meet some people who can help me to get an interesting internship. I am going to try to attend some networking events. 

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Elevator pitch

What would you do when you would run into someone of major importance in the elevator? 

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"Hello mr./mrs. X, I am Lennard de Ridder, an International Business Management student. It is so nice to meet you. I have been thinking about the proposal of the new product and I think I could contribute to making it even better. I would be delighted if you would allow me to elaborate."

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LinkedIn

As I mentioned before, I have used LinkedIn for three or four years now. In the start, it was all basic and nothing of interest. However, I was able to build myself a decent basis of connections. I have followed all the steps LinkedIn asked me to, in order to get to a professional level. Every now and then I check my profile to see if I can add something. 

Last semester I have included a personal base line, explaining who I am and what my goals are. 

The link to my profile is stated below, or right here.

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Facebook

I have a regular look at my Facebook profile, as I have heard that employers are looking at your profile when they want to hire you. You can find my Facebook page here. There is not much to be seen, except for my profile picture and some photos of me cycling. Personal details are protected completely. I think that it is protected well enough.

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Real-life networking

At Digital First, which was also a seminar, I had the chance to network in real-life and have been in contact with some people since. It really is not so difficult, but you should just dare to ask questions and show interest.