Part 1 By Bianca Sanchez
Networking is a valuable tool for scholars to help them navigate the path of creating opportunities for themselves. Building professional relationships with professors and educators provides numerous opportunities, such as getting letters of recommendation, academic growth, and access to professional development opportunities. These opportunities can include working hand in hand with your professors and, like me, becoming a Graduate Research Assistant. All of these opportunities are made possible through networking. Shaffer (2021) mentions that you never know who you will meet and who will influence your career and life. You want to expand your professional network to pursue opportunities outside your degree, ultimately making connections that can lead to future jobs and opportunities.
Let me take you on my networking journey with my professors in the Master of Social Work program at California Baptist University. I am Bianca Sanchez, and I am completing my final year of the MSW program. As I entered my second year, I challenged myself to take the opportunity to network with my professors and engage in professional and academic growth. The MSW stresses the importance of networking, so I sought networking opportunities, seizing every chance that crossed my path, and when asked to be a Research Assistant, I leaped. Beginning with Dr. Flores-Carter, I gained research experience by cleaning interview transcripts and conducting a literature review on cultural humility in the healthcare system, specifically focusing on working with black pregnant women. Working hand in hand with Dr. Flores-Carter and gaining experience in research helped me build up my resume while earning a letter of recommendation.
Fast forwarding to the Fall semester, I enrolled in a Program Evaluation course with Dr. Breitenbucher. I set up a Zoom meeting with him, introduced myself, and told him I wanted to learn more about his presentation on addressing the fentanyl crisis in school-based settings. During my introduction, I mentioned to Dr. Breitenbucher that I have been working with Dr. Flores-Carter on some of her research and have experience working on transcripts. Dr. Breitenbucher mentioned he is a researcher and is working on a qualitative project with Dr. Gaona, an Assistant Professor of Social Work. They had just completed a series of interviews and were ready to begin the process of cleaning and organizing transcripts from the interviews. I was offered the opportunity to work on their research project to help with the transcripts and eventually work on coding and conducting thematic analysis. All of this happened through the power of networking.
Tracy (n.d.) mentions that networking allows for developing connections with others who share your interests or are in your field of work. Networking can help you learn, gain resources, and build new relationships. Building those connections with professors or those around us can benefit us in the future and within our careers. Networking can lead to many connections, even indirect connections that a professor can get you connected with, and professional growth—like my connection of working with one professor, led me to connect my new experience to another professor and extend my knowledge in conducting research.
As a college student, whenever I realized I had to do any research, I would stress out because it wasn’t my strongest area of study. So, when given this opportunity, I felt like I needed to challenge myself and learn research hands-on, not in class or through a textbook, but by gaining the skills directly. According to the University of Cincinnati (n.d.), the benefits of working as a research assistant include learning new skills and knowledge outside the classroom and creating a mentoring relationship with a faculty member. Working with Dr. Breitenbucher, Dr. Flores-Carter, and Dr. Gaona, I applied my knowledge from research classes and learned more along the way. I learned to code transcripts, conduct a thematic analysis, work on a team, and collaborate with researchers.
Taking on the role of Research Assistant was not just an extracurricular activity in which I immersed myself. I gained skills to add to my resume and opened up opportunities. I have created professional relationships with my professors and gained mentorship from them. Additionally, Dr. Breitenbucher extended opportunities for me to guest-speak in his classes and write this blog! All of this was done through the power of networking. As students, the possibilities are endless when you decide to step out of your comfort zone. You can open the door of opportunities by networking and connecting with those you encounter. As Debasish Mridha says, “The door of opportunity is always open, but you have to find the door to enter” (GoodReads., n.d.).
Make sure you check out the other two blogs in this series : Back to School Night! Reflections and Encouragement HERE and Seizing Opportunity HERE!
Bianca Sanchez is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work degree at California Baptist University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in psychology from California State University, San Bernardino. With years of experience supporting children on the autistic spectrum, she brings much valuable expertise to her academic and personal journey.
Throughout her academic and professional journey, Bianca has expressed passion to positively impact the lives of our youth. Post-graduation, she intends to continue her dedicated work with youth in foster care settings. Additionally, she aspires to obtain licensure as a clinical social worker (LCSW) and to acquire her pupil personnel services credential specializing in child welfare and attendance, thus positioning herself to fulfill the role of a school social worker.