7 rules of good conduct when using the EDHEC network
Maximise your chances of success in your connection requests
Have the courage to contact graduates:
to get information about their business sector, role or company, etc. but also to validate your career goals or tweak your CV. Don’t hesitate to capitalise on these invaluable contacts. Feel free to contact several different people. This will allow you to combine perspectives and optimise your chances of getting a reply.
Begin by sending an email
(@edhec.com or personal address), that way you know you won’t bother the person. Making contact in this way before picking up the phone can be a good approach. The email should be short and to the point: take care to express yourself properly, watch out for spelling mistakes and don’t forget to be polite.
Be precise:
what you’re looking for, why you’re contacting this graduate in particular, etc. This will help your contacts to provide a suitable response and not waste their time. Make sure you have done all the right research first. Graduates aren’t there to read the website for you.
Keep your contacts informed:
always remember to thank (perhaps even more than once) and keep up to date anyone who has helped you by taking the time to answer your questions. This is also a way for them to know whether their advice was fruitful.
Be patient.
Don’t be obsessed by the short term. Be good to your contacts even if they haven’t yet provided the help you hoped for. Who knows? The relationship may prove useful to you in the near future. Don’t expect graduates to do everything for you. Their role is simply to guide you, put you in contact with the right people and help you get a foot in the door. It’s up to you to push that door open and convince people that you are the right candidate. Don’t forget these are people living their own lives and they will not always be available as soon as you contact them. Be patient, stay very courteous. Creating contacts sometimes takes time: it's up to you to anticipate your prospection.
Return the favour:
the network is about exchanges. When you receive something, you give something back! You experienced what it’s like looking for sponsors as a student, so make yourself known as a potential contributor in your area of expertise, contribute to the school’s development through the EDHEC Foundation … there are so many ways to make an impact!
Take part in events:
Be an active contributor to your network. Even from an informal chat with another graduate, you can gain advice, contacts, opportunities or perspectives you may not have thought of, make yourself known and increase your chances of expanding your knowledge. Also feel free to invite your contacts. A physical encounter is a way to strengthen initial links established online or by email. We hope to see you soon at an EDHEC event!