PRESENTATION
Networking for Linguists
MLC Brown Bag Series
Georgetown University
November 17, 2009
Networking Workshop
Goals for today’s workshop:
Fill your back pocket with a couple
variations of an elevator pitch to explain
your studies and career interests to nonlinguists
Use linguistic tools to rehearse your
responses to predictable introductory
questions
Build short-term goals to help you keep
momentum with your networking
Share your networking tips with your
classmates
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Activity: Introductory Questions
Q1: What do you do?
A1: I’m a grad student.
Q2: What are you studying?
Q2: Linguistics.
Q3: How many languages do you speak?
Q4: So, what are you gonna do with that?
A3:
A3:
A3:
A4:
A4:
A4:
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Dictionary definition
lin⋅guis⋅tics
–noun (used with a singular verb )
the science of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax,
semantics, pragmatics, and historical linguistics.
ORIGIN
1850–55; see LINGUISTIC, -ICS
SOURCE: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/linguistics
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Journal of Sociolinguistics
Now publishing 5 issues per volume, Journal of Sociolinguistics has established
itself as an international forum for multidisciplinary research on language and
society.
Journal of Sociolinguistics promotes sociolinguistics as a thoroughly linguistic and
thoroughly social-scientific endeavour. The journal is concerned with language in all
its dimensions, macro and micro, as formal features or abstract discourses, as
situated talk or written text. Data in published articles represent a wide range of
languages, regions and situations - from Alune to Xhosa, from Cameroun to
Canada, from bulletin boards to dating ads.
SOURCE: http://www.wiley.com/bw/journal.asp?ref=1360-6441
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Walt Wolfram
The basic notion underlying sociolinguistics is quite simple: Language use
symbolically represents fundamental dimensions of social behavior and human
interaction. The notion is simple, but the ways in which language reflects
behavior can often be complex and subtle. Furthermore, the relationship
between language and society affects a wide range of encounters--from broadly
based international relations to narrowly defined interpersonal relationships.
Sociolinguists might investigate questions such as how mixed-gender
conversations differ from single-gender conversations, how differential power
relations manifest themselves in language forms, how caregivers let children
know the ways in which language should be used, or how language change
occurs and spreads to communities.
SOURCE: LSA Website http://www.lsadc.org/info/ling-fields-socio.cfm
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Connie Eble
Sociolinguistics is the study of how language serves and is shaped by the social nature of
human beings. In its broadest conception, sociolinguistics analyzes the many and diverse
ways in which language and society entwine. This vast field of inquiry requires and combines
insights from a number of disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, psychology and
anthropology.
Sociolinguistics examines the interplay of language and society, with language as the starting
point. Variation is the key concept, applied to language itself and to its use. The basic premise
of sociolinguistics is that language is variable and changing. As a result, language is not
homogeneous — not for the individual user and not within or among groups of speakers who
use the same language.
SOURCE: Do You Speak American? Website http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/sociolinguistics/sociolinguistics/
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The Linguists
A linguist is a scientist who studies language,
but not just to learn the language,
but to figure out the possible ways
that the human mind can make sense
of the world around it.
(1:11)
SOURCE: The Linguists (Movie)
http://thelinguists.com/
http://www.babelgum.com/browser.php#play/SEARCH,queryString:the%20linguists,order:MOST_POPULAR/0,3016880
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Elevator Pitch Scenarios
Scenarios
1. You attend a graduate student happy hour where most of the participants are
from the business school.
2. You are presenting at a conference hosted by the University of Maryland
School of Languages, and the attendees are mainly comparative literature
students and professors. After your talk, one of the students asks you about your
career plans.
3. You attend your first meeting for a professional association, and they ask you
to introduce yourself to the group.
4. You are flying home for Thanksgiving, and the woman in the seat next to you is
intrigued by your Georgetown hoodie.
5. Your brother-in-law asks for an update on your career plans post-graduation.
6. Other ?
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Activity: Elevator Pitches
 Take 1
– Pick a Scenario that will be immediately useful for you to develop.
– Draft your own elevator pitch (in complete sentences so it’s legible to your partner).
– “Perform” this for your partner. (Take turns).
 Take 2
– Swap papers with your partner.
– Put on your editor’s hat and pull out your linguistic tool kit.
– Suggest two edits to your partner’s elevator pitch.
– Write up a revised elevator pitch.
– “Perform” this for your partner. (Take turns).
 Reflection
– Make note of any feedback that was particularly helpful.
– Jot down any insights, reactions, challenges from this activity.
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Best practices for Elevator Pitches
 1. Highlight headline news stories and how a linguist’s training can resolve every day
communications challenges
– Reset button (Hilary Clinton, Russia)
– “War on terror”
– “Health insurance reform” vs. “Universal healthcare”
– Swine flu vs. H1 N1
 2. Connect with popular “urban legends”
– Eskimos have 1000 words for snow
– Chevy Nova “no va”
 3. Provide examples of the career paths of your classmates, famous linguists, etc.
– One of my classmates works with PR campaigns for organizations like…
– George Lakoff consults with politicians….
– Heidi Hamilton consults on doctor/patient interactions…
…Others?
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Action Items
 Commit to taking action on three simple goals to keep momentum on your networking
 Set a deadline for yourself
 Find someone in the room who will keep you accountable and arrange to check in with
him/her
 Inspiration and ideas to get you started:
– Update your Linked In profile and join the Meta Talk group
– Ask your classmates which distros they follow (Linguist List, DISCOURSE, etc.)
– Join or become active in DC-based Professional Associations
– Attend at least one event off campus by end of 2009
– Other?
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Top Ten Tips for Effectively Managing your Career
Advice
How to
Know yourself
Clarify your interests, motivations, and needs
Seek alignment
Have career conversations with your manager
Build your track record
Create a positive reputation based on performance
Continue to learn
Identify skill gaps and structure your learning
Build your expertise
Become known as the “go-to” person for something
Build relationships
Network proactively to gain support, build trust, and gain referrals
Promote yourself
Develop your career brand and increase your visibility
Plan ahead
Develop a career plan with contingencies
Jump on opportunities
Network for information about changes in your business world
Work/life balance
Build in activities to re-charge your energy levels
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Resources
– Meta Talk Linked In Group
– Timothy Butler (2007)
Getting Unstuck
– Lynne Waymon (2007)
Making Your Contacts Count
– Diane Darling
Contact:
“How to Work a Room”
(www.effectivenetworking.com)
Sonia Checchia
smchecchia@gmail.com
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Questions?
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