Build Social Capital

Build social capital. Business school is extremely time-intensive and stressful. Because your time is so limited, you may feel uncomfortable investing that little bit of free time in someone other than yourself. However, I would argue that sometimes giving to others is much valuable use of your time than if you had spent it on yourself. I am not condoning having no personal time because that is important. What I am suggesting is that instead of spending 1 hour on Facebook or watching mindless television (I have definitely been a culprit of this in the past), that you should use that time to help someone else.

What does that look like? Some ways I like to help others are as follows: As a Teach For America alumna, I have been interviewing candidates, helping the recruitment team by sharing my experience with prospective candidates from Columbia University and doing informational interviews for University of Chicago undergraduates interested in education. As a Columbia alumna, I also interview prospective students and share my experience with young high school students. At Chicago Booth, I try to be as involved as possible to make my school better while also building social capital. You don't have to participate in alumni affairs or big school activities. Sometimes it is a matter of spending 20 minutes to help a classmate, who is going through a rough day by just listening to him or her ramble on about their struggles. Some day, you may be on that side of the fence and need a shoulder to "cry" on as well.

Another important way to build social capital is by being a good mentee and a good mentor. As a mentee, one must follow up on promises. I have been blessed with great mentors and they usually suggest next steps to help me become more successful. These steps usually involve them reaching out to their contacts or taking extra time to help me resolve a problem. You must respect your mentor's time and take the actionable steps recommended that you feel will actually help you succeed. Otherwise, the mentor will feel like he or she has wasted time. In addition, it is important to build relationships with people who want to be where you are. One of my interns from Teach For America has been admitted into the program and will be teaching in Colorado next year. This was due to his hard work and follow through on some of my advice. I have mentored and am mentoring many college students and young professionals with which I enjoy spending time. These young people are brilliant and have a lot of potential. Most of the time, these mentorships are mutually beneficial. My favorite mentees have connected me to their other mentors, professors, friends or offered me ideas on how I can be successful.

Ultimately, I just want to leave you with the following message: All relationships are important whether you choose to leverage them now or later but make sure to nurture them. Build social capital. Give back.