Yesterday I attended a farewell alumni meeting at the Haaga campus of the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, my alma mater. The campus is moving to a brand-new facility in the Tripla Mall, one of the busiest intersections of public transportation in Helsinki with dozens of restaurants and a hotel within the same building. A perfect location for a hospitality education campus.
It was great to see my old classmates and network with the Haaga staff and other alumni. The “Haaga spirit” really is something else. I really hope they can keep that in the new facilities.
This special bond and the camaraderie you have with your college friends got me thinking. During my time there I was a member of the student council, and I remember that in our office wall was a printed aphorism – “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. We often laughed that we’d party our way through college and make so many connections that we’ll be fine for life. And you know what, it kind of happened.
We graduated and found our places in life. Many of my friends have had distinguished careers, achieved post-graduate degrees and some have even become teachers. I think it’s fair to say that we have mastered the “what” part. But still, looking at my friends yesterday, it was hard not to think that there’s some truth in the “who” part as well.
In today’s world, networking is more important than ever. And, as much as we need lifelong learning and curiosity towards new things to keep ourselves up to date and relevant, we need to approach our connections and network the same way.
So, reach out to your old college friend or a colleague from that first internship after graduation and have drink with them. Or a non-alcoholic beverage, if that’s your thing. My point is that in the world full of Tik Tok videos, remote work and data driven KPIs, personal relationships can still be the most valuable thing you have.
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