Networking 101 for graduate students.

_{Photo by: Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash}

These are a few things that have worked for me over the years of networking during graduate school that have helped me and I thought I would share.

Why should we network?

• Your colleagues are people who you can lean on but at the same time, you can pay it forward as well!
• You never know what opportunities are out there if you don’t talk to people
• A lot of jobs/opportunities aren’t posted, they are given by word of mouth

Where to begin?

• Twitter! follow some hashtags #academia #academictwitter
• Conferences usually have poster sessions; these are great places to network, or before/after oral sessions. There are also industry halls, where companies set up booths. I used to love networking with different companies at these as well.
• Join societies specific to your field: they will usually have networking sessions
• Student Clubs: your classmates are great resources as well!

How to start?

• If starting is really hard and awkward, set a goal for yourself. If it’s an in person meeting, think about who you want to talk to. Make a list/have an idea before you go
• It can be so nerve wracking to networking, if there isn’t a list of attendees, don’t fret! Talk to one person and ask them to recommend someone they think you should talk to.
• Grab a friend to go with you! It’s easier in pairs.
• If it’s virtual over twitter, interact with their posts!
• Remember that it can be the most random person who could help you out in the future. Networking is a process that doesn’t necessarily give you results right now.
• It’ll be hard at first but it gets easier with practice

What to do?

• Start a conversation, ask them about themselves
• Tell them about yourself
• Remember that networking is as much about helping the other person as it is for you as well
• Go with the intention of helping someone else out as well. This will make you better at networking.
• Be kind and thank them for their time

Hope this helps!