Connections in the Current Mode
“Connections” was a multi- episode documentary in the late-1970s that explained connections around inventions, technology and contemporary history. Although a success at that time, it is not much known these days. Currently, the concept of connecting refers more often to the ways in which people use social media; we talk about “friending,” “poking” or “tweeting” people, and we are all good, or getting better, at connecting with people we rarely, if ever, see in person.

Helping students make connections with other people often means just reminding them to continue linking and friending people using their current social-media platforms, whether LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Foursquare, Friendster or Instagram. There are even online groups where it is easy to meet and converse with people who are complete strangers. However, it is often harder for students to network using the old-fashioned, face-to-face situation. In fact, an increasing percentage of the population is more comfortable using remote devices than talking in person or on the telephone.

Making Face-to-Face Connections with Peers
Therefore, it is important for us to help students expand their repertoire of ways to connect with others since the culinary and foodservice industries are very small and most people know each other or know someone who knows the other person. Consequently, helping students learn how to establish personal relationships with their peers becomes part of our jobs. The more often they can work in teams, the more comfortable they often become with each other, and if they are not comfortable, they at least learn ways to work together toward a common task.

Reaching out to other students can be harder, especially for students who are basically introverted; making opportunities for them and teaching them connecting skills can help. Some of those experiences we can promote include: sharing leadership of club experiences; volunteering for special events; coming early or staying late to help in the kitchen, dining room or other laboratory setting; and inviting other student to study together. Even listing these options can help students consider new ways to deepen their relationships with their fellow students.

If students stop to consider the seven characteristics of a good relationship—mutuality, interaction, continuing activity, mutual and ongoing benefits, appropriate changes in each person’s behavior, uniqueness and trust (Pepper and Rodgers, Managing Customer Relationships: A Strategic Framework)—they can work on expanding those elements of their relationships with their fellow students and expand the depth of their connections. In fact, these seven factors simply describe what we do now to deepen our current relationships.

Making Industry Connections
There are also many ways to help students reach out to industry professionals: introducing themselves and thanking guest speakers and hosts of site visits; arranging interviews with industry professionals as part of research assignments; requesting information interviews as part of career-development activities; and visiting facilities as part of building professional knowledge.

Even encouraging students to make connections with vendors to your program can open doors and broaden their networks. If you teach networking in any of your classes, you are probably already doing some of this work, but consider using campus connections; encourage them to make contacts with the professional running all of the foodservice operations on campus, the catering services (if that is not done by your department) and student activities. The more students get to know these professionals and build some associations, the easier it is for them the next time they meet a new industry professional.

A critical aspect of this process involves sending hand-written thank-you notes after meeting an individual. Just as important is continuing to follow up or maintain contact with professionals through sending e-mails with current news, sharing information from their classes or from their reading. We should remind students that once a contact is made, it should not be broken, and this practice will help them learn how to maintain and build connections.

Summary
Thank you for reading this column on helping students make connections with their peers and industry professionals. Next month, we will talk more about building connections with interests, ideas and the industry.

If you have comments about this topic or suggestions for others, send them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I will include them in future “Mayo’s Clinics.”

Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT, is a clinical professor at New York University and a frequent presenter at CAFÉ events nationwide.