The Low Down

By Melody J. Wilding '11SW of the Columbia Career Coaches Network

Originally published on melodywilding.com

Networking can be, at times, awkward and even produce anxiety. The thought of reaching out to people you don't know to build potential business relationships can seem daunting. How do those "super connector" social butterflies carry themselves with such confidence while others stammer and stutter?

As it turns out, there's a psychology to relationship building that will not only help you feel more secure when meeting new people, but will also transform your stack of business cards into meaningful connections that may advance your career.

Remember, confidence and relationship building are not skills we're born with.

Here are four ways to leverage what we know about human behavior and the brain to become a better networker and to create relationships that last:

By Julia Harris Wexler '83TC, '14BUS, Columbia University Certified Executive Career Coach

Mid-career shifting is perhaps one of the most common, yet least researched challenges faced by our generation. Let's look at the dynamics:

1) Most professionals begin their careers after graduating college or graduate school in their mid to late 20s. Their work life will last until their early 60s to late 70s on average.

2) This 40+ year span will most likely NOT be spent dedicated to only one field/industry or career.

Since it's logical that most professionals will need to reinvent themselves in order to leverage their prior skills in preparation for taking their places in their next careers, why is this topic still such a mystery?

That's why I specialize my coaching on this exact challenge: Mid-Career Shifts.

Mid-career shifting is perhaps one of the most common, yet least researched challenges faced by our generation.

Here is the method I use when coaching clients in tackling this issue:

When Ryan Petersen ’08BUS was working in China running a supply chain several years ago, he experienced firsthand the archaic practices of the international shipping industry.

Transitioning to a new career requires a mixture of faith, courage, inspiration, and support.  The end results are exciting and often unpredictable.  

Here are nine takeaway tips you need for a career transition from Eric Horwitz '90CC, the head of the Columbia Alumni Career Coaches Network and a full-time executive career coach and life coach.  

By Lynn Berger '84TC, '90TC of the Columbia Career Coaches Network

From time to time, all of us experience a career slump; however, it can be a meaningful experience. It allows us to identify the gaps in our work and career. Let's explore how you can identify your interests, motivated skills, personality style, and values to allow you to achieve greater career satisfaction.

So, the question is posed—“How can you overcome a career slump?” The best way to answer this question is to imagine you are creating and putting together the pieces of an intriguing, challenging, and rewarding puzzle. Each piece needs to be closely examined, shifted, and viewed from a variety of perspectives. Once you are able to fit the pieces of your puzzle together, you will have created the complete image, which in effect, will become your fulfilling career.

By Debra Feldman '74PH of the Columbia Career Coaches Network

You got where you are today by virtue of hard work and producing results. If you don’t get the strategy right and execute it correctly, a project fails. This success principle applies to your personal career: you need the right job search strategy to support an effective campaign effort. If either your job search strategy (focus or target) is wrong or your job search execution (tasks and activities) is inadequate, your job search can’t succeed. In other words, if you don’t know where you are going, then you are not going to get anywhere.

Steve Blank, Senior Fellow for Entrepreneurship at Columbia, will speak on January 12 on "Hacking NYC: Beyond the Rise of the NYC Startup Ecosystem." 

The current state of New York City's entrepreneurship ecosystem is widely considered a modern marvel.

Blank, along with Executive Director, Columbia Technology Ventures Orin Herskowitz, will discuss how much of this success can be attributed to former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, how has this progress evolved under Mayor Bill de Blasio, and how NYC compares to other startup hotspots including Silicon Valley, Boston, and Tel Aviv. 

RSVP for the event here and read some top business insight for the new year from Blank's previous Columbia talks: 

Isabel Lerer '10GSAS, '12GSAS, '15GSAS found a way to turn her passion for animals into a successful $40 million startup.  

 (Photo: The Dodo via Business Insider)

When it comes to success, Maryam Banikarim '89BC, '93BUS, '93SIPA has figured out the perfect balance.

The global chief marketing officer of Hyatt Hotels brings her unique perspective to the brand, but values the opinions of those who have been in the field longer.

"When you come from the outside you look at things from a different lens. You might see different opportunities,” she told the Miami Herald. "But it's a combination of the view from outside, plus the expertise of those who know the business coming together that help you see a new path forward."

Banikarim told the Herald that leaders need to surround themselves with people of different backgrounds.

"People who aren't afraid to voice their opinions," she added.

Earlier in the year, Banikarim told Fortune that being patient is key in the workplace.

"When you come into a new organization, you have to spend a good amount of time listening and learning, and you have to come up with that process for listening and learning," she said. "You have to take the time to understand the nuances before coming up with a plan forward. I have learned that lesson over time, and it is a particularly important one as I think I about this next stage."

 Banikarim is an active alumna, serving on the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) board, the CAA Alumni Outreach and Services Committee, and the Barnard Professional and Leadership Development Committee (PLDC).

"I spent many years at Columbia and I loved every minute of it," she said. "I made great friends, learned a lot and came into myself. I'm happy to share my love of all things Columbia with others."

Click to read more of Banikarim's success secrets in the Miami Herald and Fortune.

Follow Banikarim on Twitter @maryamb and check out her recent interview with Columbia Business School. 

If you’ve thought about making a career change or sought job advice recently, you may have come across the Columbia Career Coaches Network – a group of over 20 accredited professional alumni career coaches who provide fee-based consulting and volunteer for the Columbia Alumni Association’s free professional development programs throughout the year.

One of those coaches is career expert Caroline Ceniza-Levine '93BC who is also a regular contributor for Forbes and Money and Time.  Earlier this year, Caroline wrote about ways to structure your networking pitch, an important asset to develop at any professional level. 

Check out Caroline’s advice below: