On April 10, 2018, David L. Kirshenbaum, senior vice president and director of corporate services and international operations of Hilco Real Estate Corp., visited the FIU College of Law where he was joined by students and faculty to give a presentation on Effective Networking for Business Development.
The engaging discussion began with his educational background and continued with his path to success in business development. Kirshenbaum used multiple examples of how determination and never giving up is an essential skill for lawyers to develop before heading in to the real world. “A really important thing is finding advocates or decision makers within an organization” said Kirshenbaum. His first example was that it took him over two years to find the decision-maker he was looking for and eventually was introduced to that person who gave him business.
The presentation also showcased the different opportunities to network such as conferences, charities, industry parties and events, as well as LinkedIn. Kirshenbaum emphasized that the goal of attending these in-person events or connecting on Linkedin should be a warm introduction that leads to a 1-on-1 meeting. Throughout the presentation, Kirshenbaum stressed the point that one will meet people through networking who might not be able to help with the specific opportunity at issue, but could eventually connect one to the people who will. “It was thrilling to learn about how essential it is for law graduates to acquire and cultivate business-savvy, entrepreneurial and leadership skills through the soft arts of networking,” said Acting Dean Tawia Ansah, who had been introduced to Kirshenbaum earlier this year. “David is a master of those arts, and we were honored to welcome him to the law school for this event.”
