Beware of burning bridges

 By: Nora Kish

The old saying goes that it's not what you know, but who you know. The director of LACD, Lisa Snodgrass, told us at our weekly intern meeting this morning that some percentage over 60 (I can't remember the exact number so I don't want to misquote her) of jobs acquired now are through networking and relationships. During Career Week at the etiquette dinner, Anthony Cawdron emphasized the importance of being polite to everyone you come into contact with - you never know who they might be or what kind of impact they can have on your life. I personally believe that you should treat others how you'd like to be treated and this holds especially true once you reach college.

Whether you're super involved with internships, clubs or jobs or not at all,  during college  you meet a lot of people along the way that can influence your professional future. If you don't get a letter of recommendation from a boss or a club advisor, you might seek one out from a professor. The issue there is - what are your relationships with these people like? Would you feel comfortable asking your former boss for a recommendation? Would you be confident they'd give you a stellar review? All the answers to these questions and more are completely in your control.

I held a position for some time that ended up no longer working out. I was not getting what I needed or wanted from the organization and could no longer give them what they wanted or needed from me so I made the decision to leave. In my haste, I certainly burned some bridges. Looking back, I know I couldn't have stayed the rest of the term for the sake of my sanity, but I wish I would have at least had a little more grace and composure when I decided to leave. Now, some of those relationships I once had are tarnished and I cannot get a recommendation that would positively reflect my time there.

I learned a very valuable lesson from that decision and its results - relationships mean more than you think. Some may be fleeting and some may be lasting, but they are all a part of your life and can play a bigger role than you may give them credit for. If you think you don't have to be courteous or even nice to someone because you think they won't play a role in your future, or you'll never see them again, or whatever the case may be, you are wrong. It is often those relationships that you think about that way that end up being valuable and worth nurturing. When it comes to developing your future, you should do what you can to provide yourself with as many options as possible. Be careful not to act in a way toward someone that will limit opportunity; make sure you're the kind of person that someone will want to provide with opportunity.