Networking Takeaways from Elon Alumni: Growth and Confidence

At Don’t Be a Stranger, a networking event hosted by Elon University's School of Communications, I had the opportunity to connect with several notable alumni excelling in their careers. Networking is always the number one piece of advice I hear, especially at networking events, but this time, two conversations truly stood out. 

One was with Aarti Rishi, who works in Brand Marketing at Grubhub and is a former member of Elon News Network. Her advice was simple yet effective: to take advantage of every opportunity available to you as a student. She emphasized that many of these experiences are free, easily accessible, and made to help you build your skills and resume. More importantly, they offer you real-life examples to share in interviews and demonstrate that you’ve gone beyond the classroom to learn and grow.


The second piece of advice came from Daniela Pereyra, a Real Estate Broker and Investor, who spoke about the importance of confidence. She explained that confidence should not be confused with arrogance. Confidence is all about stepping into a space believing you belong there. Even if you don't have all the answers, confidence allows you to feel secure enough to ask questions, admit what you don't understand, and accept guidance from others. 


Whether you're seeking out new opportunities or walking in with confidence, success begins as soon as you show up prepared to learn and grow. Having these conversations reminded me that even though it can be uncomfortable at times, growth happens when you put yourself out there. Networking isn't simply about collecting business cards or handing out your resume; it's about building genuine relationships and being receptive to new experiences.




Keywords: Networking, Elon Alumni, Advice, Confidence, Growth

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