You never know who you might meet at a college networking event, so be prepared.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard that successfully finding a job is more about who you know than what you know. This is where networking can save us college students a lot of grief. There are a number of designated networking events or award ceremonies, and they’re definitely worth attending.

In my two and a half years as a college student, I’ve gone to a few. Some were successful. Some were not. Each of them served as a learning experience. To help you navigate these events, here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Be confident. It’s scary walking up to strangers and telling them about your life’s ambitions. Give yourself a little pep talk (not out loud). Fake confidence if you have to. Know your abilities. Be enthusiastic about them. You know you’re capable of a lot, or you can at least pretend you are if you’re not feeling it. One of my most successful networking events started with a lack of confidence. I saw one familiar face from an interview I did for the newspaper, and that led to being introduced to internship and job coordinators.

A well-placed compliment is always a great conversation starter. Five or six compliments peppered in the conversation will make you sound fake. Less is more.

If there’s an open bar, that doesn’t mean you should take full advantage of it. How much fun is it talking to a sloppy drunk when you’re stone cold sober? It’s rarely a good time, and, chances are, you’re not the exception. The only exception I’ve seen is a reporter who was so intoxicated he yelled random syllables at a bunch of students and couldn’t stop laughing at himself. Whatever he was saying must have been hysterical.

For cocktail and appetizer events, it’s annoying trying to juggle a drink, whatever food you snagged and chatting up someone from your dream internship program. Carry a drink when you’re working the room. Step aside when you want to eat. If someone approaches you when you’re eating, go with it.

If you’re at a dinner, do not shovel forkfuls of food in your mouth. That’s disgusting no matter where you are. Avoid messy food. Your napkin is your best friend.

Do not cut your grape tomatoes. They spray. I was at an award ceremony hosted by the journalism school, and I managed to be seated at table two. The other occupants were the runner-up for the award and her family, a higher-up administrator at the university and his wife, and the recipient of the alumnus of the year and his wife.

Needless to say, I was a little out of place. I sat next to the alumnus of the year’s wife. During the salad course, I cut my grape tomato, for some silly reason I can’t even remember, and seeds and tomato juice shot out and landed all over her arm.

I apologized profusely, and we laughed it off. It was a great conversation starter, but it really wasn’t one of my better moments. If you have to be remembered as the girl who sprays tomatoes, make sure your reaction leaves an impression.

If you take away anything from this, just remember to be confident. Even if you spray tomatoes all over a potential employer, it’s nothing to cry over. At least you’ll stand out from other applicants.

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