“It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”

How often are those words said between speakers, professors or even other students? I’m not even close to figuring out what my plans are after college, but those words sound all too familiar to me.

Which is why, ever since I’ve stepped on campus, I knew I was getting involved in as many organizations as I could because of the resources they would provide to help me succeed.

Let me back up: In no way, shape or form am I trying to get every single student involved on campus. I’ll let the facts speak for themselves.

A 2010 study conducted by Right Management surveyed more than 59,000 people and asked how they found their jobs.

The top response, at 41 percent, was networking. The second method was an internet job board at 25 percent.

The difference between the two shows the effectiveness of networking. Even four years ago, it was the leading source of finding a job. I can’t even imagine the stats for 2013, especially with social media evolving at all times.

I get it, some majors require more networking than others, so some people might not be inclined to be involved. However, if the resources are at your disposal on campus, why not take advantage of them?

Some organizations have guest speakers come in periodically to talk about their job field, and regular gatherings allow for students to meet others in the same major. Both are incredibly beneficial networking opportunities.

Society of Professional Journalists president-elect Dana Neuts said recently at the Midwest Journalism Conference that if it weren’t for SPJ, she wouldn’t have landed any of her jobs. Most were obtained through networking within the national organization.

Joining clubs isn’t the only way to find out about networking opportunities. Our good friend the Internet also helps us out. LinkedIn is a social media site designed to connect businesses with job seekers. According to the website, LinkedIn is “the world’s largest professional network on the internet.”

If going to a meeting once a week or once every other week is too time consuming, making a profile on a website would eliminate some of the time commitment, but still allow people to network and share ideas.

In the end, it’s up to the person whether or not they want to get involved. Personally, I would much rather spend my time in extra-curriculars now, even if they take up some of my free time. Being involved might not pay me now, but it will pay off for me in the future.