8 Ways to Network while in College After leaving college the job that you take will probably be one you have networked your way into instead of interviewing your way in. Your network can be invaluable as it gives you contacts in your industry across the globe. The network also provides you with contact that you can benefit from on the job. Fortunately, you don’t need to leave school in order to build your network. Here are a number of activities you can do to gain contacts. Talk with your professors Your professors are an amazing contact to make. They have experience in your chosen field and can offer you great advice as you leave school. They also have a powerful professional network of their own and can give you access to this if you prove yourself in and out of class. Stop by their office after class and chat with them, ask them advice, and look for leads. Your professors want to help you and will often give you time outside of class to do so. Surprisingly many students never speak with their professors outside of the classroom. Find valuable students, like minded Make friends at college. They may not have large networks but your friends and fellow students represent and investment that you can draw into later in your career. Make sure to sustain these contacts over the decades as they can prove to be very valuable. Go to special events like meet the dean Once you are in your program there are opportunities for you to meet influential individuals. Meet the dean of the college lunches are fairly common and business leaders will come in to give presentations. Reach out to these individuals after the meeting. They will probably be in a hurry so ask if you can contact them later in the week and they may even give you their number. Attend career fairs and get to know companies This is an opportunity for you to speak with companies directly. When you go to a career fair make sure to have a few companies in mind and seek them out first. Speak with these individuals and get to know them and their companies get contact other than the recruiter by asking for department heads in the areas you would like to work. Reach out to these individuals. Join Associations
There are many of these, locally and nationally, in and out of school. Identify associations that are valuable to you and your chosen career path. Choose a few of them and join them and make sure that you are involved. These associations often hold trainings and networking sessions each month. Use LinkedIn LinkedIn is the big one but there are other social media outlets to do this. The important concept is to make connections online. It can be very difficult to keep your phone numbers up to date and keep in contact. Social media sites allow you to do this easily. Make connections at work and in internships This is the direct source. Go to work and learn at internships and jobs but make sure that you leave with more than a paycheck. Develop personal relationships with these individuals and become friends. Go to work activities afterhours. This will help them remember you as an individual instead of a position. Be memorable. Photo Credit: Matthias Asgeirsson, velkr0, Zach Zupancic