New City, New Friends

New City, New Friends
By Kevin Ziegler (BSJ ’06)

If only every city had nightlife, recreation, culture and a crowd of people you know within walking distance of your home. Ohio University had a near-perfect setup for social life, but living and working in a new city can mean starting fresh without the amenities of Athens.
Rebuilding a social network that keeps you busy and happy requires a diligent effort, but new friends can be found by looking in the right places.

Be Proactive
Relationship building is key to developing a healthy professional and social network, one that will advance your career and keep your weekends entertaining.
Michael Shaw (BBA ’03) is networking director for the Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club (www.cleveland2030.com), an 800-plus member young professional organization. Shaw, a senior auditor for National City, plans events to bring together the large membership of the 20/30 Club. He suggests a proactive approach to building a social life.
“I was really bored one day and I Google searched for young professional groups,” said Shaw.
Internet searches are a start, but human resources departments or coworkers may have affiliations to share, along with insight into those organizations.
Young professional organizations and affinity groups bring people together based on common interests or activities. Shaw suggests seeking out organizations that allow you to meet people in a setting that you feel most comfortable. This can include volunteer work, casual networking or professional organizations that fit your career.
For journalism graduates, professional organizations with student chapters most likely have local chapters in most metro areas. Examples include the Society of Professional Journalists (www.spj.org), Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org) or the American Advertising Federation (www.aaf.org). Some companies will reimburse employees for certain memberships, or the dues can be negotiated into a starting offer.

Make Friends at Work
For a full-time worker, the majority of each week is spent in the office with the same group of coworkers. If you seem to develop good working relationships with coworkers, it may be a good opportunity to socialize outside of work.
Mike Cottrill (BSJ ’05) writes for Smart Business magazine and said work is a great place to make new friends.
“Sharing 40 hours a week gives a pretty good base for finding out some common interests,” said Cottrill. He also suggested attending company parties and meeting friends of coworkers and friends.
Outside the office, Cottrill said places like the gym and the bar are easy opportunities to meet new people.
For Cottrill, working in an office with a group of writers provided him with a workplace likely to have other people with common interests.
Find a Balance
Bars and parties are common nightlife options, but finding a work and social life balance is important. A first adjustment for recent graduates is often establishing a regular sleep schedule.
While some Ohio University students may have been able to get by on little sleep to make it to a morning class, in the workplace being groggy or unprepared for work reflects poorly on an individual.
Shaw said separating social life and work can be a challenge especially in learning to adjust habits that may have been acceptable as a college student.
“You need to be able to make that distinction,” he said. When out with coworkers Shaw advised recent graduates to be reserved in their behavior despite any pressures from colleagues adding that social activities still influence relationships during work hours.
“Definitely limit your [alcoholic] intake if you are with your manager or company owner,” he said.
On the flip side, work can consume put a crunch on social life, to an extent that limits outside activity.
Crain’s Cleveland Business Section Editor Amy Ann Stoessel (BSJ ??) said her job keeps her very busy so she is sure to take advantage of networking opportunities when they fit in with work.
“Always take an opportunitiy to get your face out there,” she said. “Get to know people, talk to people. Don’t sit in the corner.”
For Stoessel this means accepting lunch invititations and working a crowd when covering or attending an event.

Take Advantage of Opportunities
Being proactive about finding social opportunities will help you discover activities that fit your interests, but it is also important to take part in activities such as volunteering or intramural sports leagues that you may be approached with.
Filling a missing roster spot for your company’s softball team or representing your company at a charity event will certainly reflect well back at the office and it can be a team building activity.
In Cleveland, intramural leagues exist for flag and touch football (www.usftl.com) and softball (www.softballworldohio.com).
Shaw suggests devoting a few hours per month to seeking volunteer opportunities or participating in the events that your organization already organizes. Being involved in the community can be influential in career advancement, he said.

Kevin Ziegler is a 2006 Scripps graduate.