Sitting in class and listening to a professor and being hands-on in a lab are obviously great ways to receive an education. But having a connection with an industry professional can enhance your education in ways that you may not be able to achieve anywhere else. Let’s take a look at the benefits of professional networking.
Hear Helpful Advice
When having a connection with someone who actually works in the industry, you’ll often receive plenty of helpful advice and insights that you might not have heard in the classroom. Plus, everyone has different experiences in their career, so it is beneficial to hear from multiple people what the job is like for them.
Learning as much as you can through professionals can be great to apply during your labs and assignments. It can also help you hone in on what your focus and main passion in mortuary sciences is.
Reinforce Love for the Industry
Seeing someone else have love for the industry that you also love can add to your own personal passion. For example, if a student observing in a funeral home sees the positive impact their funeral services had on a grieving family, the student might feel more pride than usual towards their industry of choice.
Build Self Confidence
Let’s face it: networking in your industry can be an intimidating experience, especially when you do it for the first time. The more a student reaches out to professionals to build connections with, the more their self confidence will grow.
People can tell when someone is confident with their place in the industry, which often will make you stand out among the rest of your peers.
Potential Career Opportunities
While you should never network just for the sake of potential career opportunities, it is definitely something to be conscious of while networking. Any funeral professional you connect with, even if they can’t provide an opportunity themselves, may themselves be connected to someone who can provide you with your dream opportunity.
Stay Updated on the Industry
While your professors are likely to also be up-to-date on the funeral and mortuary science industry, it’s still incredibly beneficial to seek out that information on your own. This is especially true once you pinpoint exactly what you want to do with your mortuary science degree. One way to begin this research on the industry is with the National Funeral Directors Association.
Develop Strong Friendships
Networking is beneficial for your professional relationships, but it can also be great for your personal relationships, too. It only makes sense that when you’re spending time with those who share the same passion and career as you that lifelong bonds could form.
It could be extremely beneficial to have a person who is both a professional mentor and a friend in the situations where you get overwhelmed with school. A close friend who also works in the field can be there to remind you to power through because it’s worth it.
Final Thoughts
At PIMS, we recognize how beneficial a connection with a mortuary science professional is, which is why a Funeral Service Practicum is such an important part of the curriculum.
Industry professional connections can provide a student with so much more information than they would receive exclusively in the classroom. They get insights they may not get anywhere else, advice from someone with their own experience in the field, and much more.
