I have recently been contemplating the future and, like most college students, I wonder if I can handle the business world. Do I have the right instincts to make quick decisions? Do I have what it takes?

I have always lived on the assumption that working hard and being the best at what I do will reap the rewards and benefits of achieving in corporate America; however, I have realized this is not always the case. We have all heard the saying, “It is not what you know, but who you know.” I have always found pride in achieving things on my own. I got what I wanted because I was good and the most qualified, not because someone gave it to me. Although achieving on your own and with your own credentials is great, I failed to realize the importance of networking and the unwritten rules of business.

The unwritten rules or “playing the game” of business is just as important as how many clubs and organizations have your name on their roster. Knowing who can help you or hurt you, what to say in certain situations or knowing when to walk away, and doing your research and always having the answer to any question that could be thrown at you are just some rules that we do not learn in a classroom.

Of course, at the end of it all, your GPA is going to get you in the door and put you above all those others who used their time in college to build a social portfolio instead of a career one, but it is the confidence in your skills that will get you the job. Knowing how to network and to put yourself in a position to be the one who gets the job is a vital tool.

It is not a skill we are all born with. I can raise my hand to this. To develop these skills, attend all the workshops you can, visit the career center and go through mock interviews. Learn the art of networking and being able to connect with those in the business worlds. Learn their language and be able to speak it fluently.

While focusing on the unwritten rules, do not forget about the ones we hear over and over. Wear the right clothes, make eye contact, have a firm handshake, etc. Entering the world of business is scary; it is a world that we have only heard about.

It is going to be hard to wrap our heads around that fact that we are becoming actual adults with bills and obligations that do not get graded and then forgotten. Reality has set in for me, and I will admit that I am scared out of my mind but excited to see what my path will eventually lead me to, because at the end of the day, life is just adventure.

Amber Patterson is a sophomore majoring in public relations. Her column runs weekly on Wednesdays.

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