In our most recent survey, 53% of Gen Y respondents told us they were intimidated by networking. In-person networking, which was cited as the most successful method in getting jobs or internships (62%), was also the most difficult (79%).

Students and recent grads said they were intimidated by “not knowing what to say” (63%) and “disliking awkward conversations” (61%).

To combat these fears, here are some suggestions:

Challenge #1: “Not knowing what to say”

Everyone says to network to find a job, yet they also advise you not to ask for a job directly. So I am not surprised that students and grads may be confused. Try some of these approaches next time you are tongue-tied:

To a networking contact:
Do you know of any companies in your industry that are growing or doing well?
Are there specific positions in your industry that are in more demand?

To a recruiter/hiring manager at a career fair:
What types of positions are you are recruiting for?
What kinds of majors do you prefer for those type of positions?
Are there parts of your company that are growing faster than others?

Challenge #2: Disliking awkward conversations

Try to disarm an awkward situation with humor or a shared interest or hobby. If the networking contact or recruiter is into sports, say something nice about his/her team (”too bad about the Pats losing Tedy!”). Or try to get to know the person (”are you from the Boston area?”). If you can find some common ground or interest, it will make the interaction more comfortable, and pretty soon you will realize that “networking” is really just meeting new people.

Our annual job survey found that new grads who successfully landed full-time jobs used internships, in-person networking and university career centers.

If you are a new grad, consider a summer internship as a way to get your foot in the door and to build a professional network. Also, many schools are making their career resources available to you beyond graduation. They’re creating new career fairs, extending summer counseling hours, and even allowing ‘09 grads to participate in fall on-campus recruiting.

If you are graduating now or are an alum already, be sure to check with your school to see what resources available to you.