How to Network as a Recent Graduate

Students are asking me: “𝐀𝐦 𝐈 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫?” ❌ No, of course not. Industry experience is one of the most valuable things you can put on your resume but you can get creative with how you get that experience. Some of the best opportunities aren’t posted — they’re shared. Here’s how to make real progress without a formal internship: ⸻ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐔𝐩 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 ⭐️ Check Eventbrite + Meetup — connect with local professionals, even for funzies ⭐️ Big names recruit heavily at SWE, SHPE, NSBE — I got my Apple internship through SWE ⭐️ Niche events: SF Tech Week, Afrotech, Latinx in Tech, Grace Hopper, MLH Hackathons, etc. Not-so-secret tip: These events let you upload your resume to conference-specific databases, and many secure next-day interviews/offers from this. ⸻ 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 ⭐️ Look into Capital One’s Early ID, Google STEP, Goldman Sachs Insights, Facebook University, etc ⭐️ Campus ambassadorships — Microsoft, Notion, Adobe, etc → These often lead to referrals, experience, and paid gigs ⸻ 𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐘𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 ⭐️ Research with a professor (just ask!) ⭐️ Helping a startup on a short-term project ⭐️ Freelance or launch your own product ⸻ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 — warm connections ⭐️ Professors: Many are ex-industry professionals — they have connections to companies or even graduated students in the workplace ⭐️ Alumni: Find grads from your school, ask about their path — then ask about opportunities ⭐️ Local companies & startups: Easier access, faster timelines ⸻ 5️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 — 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 If you’re not learning 𝘰𝘯 the job, treat learning 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 a job. ⭐️ Courses: Coursera, edX, AWS (Google IT, IBM Data Science, Meta Front-End) ⭐️ Certs: CAPM, Lean Six Sigma, Scrum Master ⭐️ Projects: Scrimba, Frontend Mentor, GitHub -> show, don’t just tell Highlight “Projects” section on your resume + “Featured Posts” on LinkedIn ⸻ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 ⭐️ LinkedIn | WayUp | Handshake | Jobright AI | Simplify New roles drop daily. Don’t count yourself out early. ⸻ 6️⃣ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝. ⭐️ Read: 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘞𝘪𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 — soft skills get you hired. ⭐️ Rest: Take that trip. You’ll never have this kind of freedom once PTO kicks in. Protect your energy — it’s a long game. I never liked reading myself, but committing to 1 book this year, small wins :) === 🔁: Repost to your network if you found this useful or tag a friend ➕ Follow me: Anna Chen for weekly career tips and job postings #NoInternshipNoProblem #EarlyCareer #NetworkingTips #UndergradOpportunities #TipsIWishIKnewEarlier

I get a lot of requests for coffee chats and referrals, and I've noticed some recurring mistakes in how people reach out. I want to share the strategies that have helped me achieve a 70% response rate. LinkedIn is incredible for connecting, and with thoughtful outreach and content, you can increase your outreach response results. The Don'ts (Vague): 🚫 "Hi there, I'm graduating in May and open to positions at [Insert Company Name]." Why this doesn't work? - It's too generic. No one person knows every open role. - It shows a lack of research. - You're shifting the work onto the recipient. The Do's (Specific & Intentional): ✅ "Hi [Insert Name], I noticed you're a Program Manager at [Insert Company]. I'm interested in the Program Manager role [Insert Job Link] and would love to connect for a 20-minute coffee chat to discuss: - Your interview process - Your day-to-day schedule - Your top challenges and how you overcome them - Any tips you can share Key Strategies for Success: - Targeted Job Titles: If you want an engineering role, connect with engineers. For data analysis, reach out to data analysts. Keep it relevant! - Experience Alignment: Aim for individuals with career tenures closer to your desired level. New grad? Connect with those 2-3 years into their journey. - The Follow-Up is Crucial: After a successful coffee chat, send a personalized THANK YOU. Include 1-2 specific points you discussed to show you were engaged. Strategic and intentional outreach is crucial, especially with so many people looking for jobs right now. It's all about thoughtful research and making it easy for the person you're contacting. What are your favorite outreach tips or questions? Let's connect and share! 👇 #LinkedInNetworking #CareerAdvice #JobSearchTips #StrategicOutreach #ProfessionalDevelopment #NetworkingTips #CoffeeChat #JobHunting #CareerStrategy #NoCeilings #CoffeeChatStrategy #NetworkWithIntention

I used to think networking was all about sending generic LinkedIn connection requests. But I was wrong ⬇️ Genuine relationship building completely changed my perspective. 🤯 Here's what I've learned as a college student trying to break into my dream industry: → 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: It's not about how many people you know, but how well you know them. Focus on building meaningful connections with a few key individuals rather than trying to network with everyone. → 𝗕𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂: Don't try to be someone you're not. People can sense inauthenticity from a mile away. Share your genuine interests and passions––that's how you'll connect with like minded people. → 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲: Always think about how you can provide value to others. Maybe it's sharing an interesting article, offering your skills, or making an introduction. When you give first, people are more likely to want to help you in return. → 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵: Networking doesn't end after the first meeting. Set reminders to check in with your connections regularly. Share updates on your progress and congratulate them on their achievements. → 𝗨𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆: LinkedIn isn't just for connection requests. Engage with people's posts, share your own insights, and join relevant groups. It's an easy way to stay on people's radar. → 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱: Don't be afraid to reach out to professionals in your desired field for a quick chat. Most people are happy to share their experiences and advice with students. ⭐ 𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗬'𝗦 𝗧𝗜𝗣: Create a networking tracker spreadsheet to keep notes on your connections, when you last spoke, and potential follow up topics. This has been a game changer for me in managing my professional relationships! Remember, networking is about building genuine relationships, not just adding names to your contact list. Don't get me wrong...it definitely takes time and effort, but the connections you make can open doors you never even knew existed! #networking #studentlife #careeradvice #professionaldevelopment #linkedintips #jobhunting

In the past week I’ve had two different coffee meet-ups with recent grads University of St. Thomas (#ROLLTOMS) and Metro State University who have really impressed me. These two particular young people were curious yet bold, prepared (they both had questions ready) and ambitious. And this week, already, I find myself going out of my way to help them (which I love to do!). Anyway, these two young people that reached out for coffee were actually out of the norm, sadly. I get a lot of LinkedIn invites from young people at St. Thomas and Winona State (because of my connections to both), but also other local universities. And, more times than not, that’s the only time I hear from these young people. And that’s a big mistake. The LinkedIn invite is just the first little part of starting a relationship with a more experienced person in your field. There are several important steps you should take beyond sending that invite that can help you build and nurture a great network. So, recent grads (and even young people 1-3 years removed from college), after you send that initial LinkedIn invite, here’s what I would suggest: 1 – Send a short follow-up DM thanking the person for connecting. You could also reference a recent LinkedIn post in your DM. This will show gratitude and demonstrate that you’re listening and paying attention to their conversations. 2 – Make the coffee ask. I know this is hard, but people from your alma mater (in my case Winona St., but also St. Thomas where I teach), will rarely say no. At the very least, ask for a 15-30 minute Zoom coffee. But, the preference is for the in-person coffee. 3 – Nail the coffee meeting. Prepare and show up with questions to ask. Show up early. Ask if/how there’s anything you can do to help. Follow-up with a prompt thank you email/note. Overall, just make sure you're making an A+ first impression. 4 – Be a frequent liker/commenter on the his/her posts. Believe me, people definitely notice the frequent likers/commenters on their posts. Helps you stay top-of-mind with that person should opportunities come up. 5 – Go out of your way to look for opportunities to help that person. You might think, “how can I help someone with 10-20 years experience when I’m just starting?” You might be surprised! What about business referrals? What about intros to other young people? What about sending them events or articles you see/read they might be interested. Don’t underestimate the value you bring to other people—at any age! You follow those steps after sending those LinkedIn invites and I can almost guarantee you’re going to get noticed and remembered. And that’s really what matters when it comes to the hidden job market.

I landed my former job at LinkedIn by asking two simple questions during an informational interview: 1️⃣ Do you have any recommendations for other people I should talk to or other resources I should explore? 2️⃣ Would it be alright for us to stay in touch? I’d love to be considered for future opportunities at LinkedIn. These questions made my intent clear – I wanted to be a recruiter at LinkedIn. Months later, when a position opened up, I was ready. I applied, interviewed, and accepted the offer! The Networking Strategy: Staying connected, following through, and fostering meaningful conversations with the people I met during informational interviews. Here’s how you can do it too: 📩 Send a Thank You Note: Show appreciation and follow up on any discussed action items. 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: Stay updated on their career, engage with their content, and congratulate them on achievements like promotions or awards. 🏆 Share Your Wins: Update them on your job search and reiterate how their insights helped you. 📝 Inform Them of Applications: If you apply to a job at their company, reach out and share the position name and the resume/cover letter you used. Heads up! I won’t be posting next week due to traveling, but I’ll be back in town in two weeks to share more post-grad career advice! _______________________ 🔔 Follow me, Claire Silcox, for more early-in-career tips and advice ♻️ Share this post to help fellow grads build their network 💼 Discover my new grad career coaching package at clairemsilcox.com #InformationalInterviews #NewGrad #Networking

Law students, Are you looking at how to build your professional network? If you are not sure where to start, here's 3 tips: 1. Start with who you know. Chances are that you have a friend or family member, colleague or classmate that has a job or is in a career field that you are interested in learning more about. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Not only will you feel comfortable because you know them and they know you, but it is also great practice for when you meet and network with professionals that you do not know as well. 2. Ask those people if there is anyone that they can introduce you to that may be willing to have a similar networking conversation. The people that you know know other people. These warm introductions can help your professional network to grow exponentially. If you want to be a lawyer and you know a lawyer, ask that lawyer to introduce you to another lawyer. If you want to go into technology and you know someone in technology, ask them to introduce you to other people that they know. You get the idea. You'll be surprised at how quickly you become the kind of person that is making those introductions. 3. Reach out to someone cold and ask them for an informational interview. This could be someone whose Linkedin profile you have come across or a bio on a website for a company that you are researching to learn about that business. Send an email introduction, explain to them that you would love a chance to learn more about what they do in their job, and ask if they have 20 minutes or so for an informational interview. With this cold approach, it may take a while for someone to commit to that informational interview, but in my experience, these can lead to the best professional networking relationships. I have landed every single job I have ever had with this approach, and received more job and internship offers than I can count from just putting myself out there. All of these are doable and will change how you approach professional networking.

Networking is NOT about collecting contacts; it’s about connecting with those contacts. I’ve seen people grow their careers, close new deals, and grab unknown opportunities out of nowhere because they knew the right people, AND those people trusted them. Like they say, your network is your net worth; it’s about who knows YOU and believes in you. ✅ Here are 3 nuggets on how you can network like a pro: - Lead with value, not with asks: When you meet someone who immediately asks for a favor, you feel sales-y and awkward, right? Don't be that person. Instead, offer something of value first. - Ask better questions: Everyone asks, “What do you do?” and forgets the answer 5 minutes later. Stand out with unique questions that spark real conversations. Ask, 1. What’s the most exciting thing you’re working on right now? 2. What’s one challenge you’re trying to solve? 3. What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received? People don’t remember what you did; they remember how you made them feel. - Stand out by following up: Most people meet once, exchange numbers, and never speak again. That’s only meeting people. If you want to stand out, go the extra mile, send them a personalized message, and stay in touch. A simple follow-up can turn a chat into a long-term relationship. The best jobs, biggest deals, and most unexpected opportunities don’t come from cold applications. They come from relationships. Networking isn’t a one-time event; it’s a lifelong habit. Start today. My personal and professional network has expanded significantly through the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and NextUp, both of which are valuable professional organizations. I personally believe the best way to network is by volunteering your time and skills—demonstrating your expertise to peers and industry leaders rather than just telling them about it. What’s the best networking tip that’s worked for you? #networking #career #growth #leadership #success

How many times have you heard "It's not what you know, but who you know"? I’ve seen the value of building great professional relationships over the course of my career that’s spanned several decades and multiple industries. Looking back, there are a few things that have worked for me consistently –– and a lot of them are not just about meeting the right people, they’re about how to leverage your existing network and how to deal with who you know. Here are my top 7 tips for effective networking: Here are my top 7 tips for networking: 1) Think of five people you'd want to connect with Who is on your dream list, and what you'd like to discuss? Write this down and think carefully about the kind of conversation you'd broach. Then, should the opportunity (or one similar) present itself, you'll know exactly how to proceed. 2) Show your gratitude Convey appreciation when making connections and be specific about what you're thanking them for. People will remember this down the line, and your graciousness can help set you apart. 3) Follow up and follow through You'll always learn more by listening rather than talking so listen with intent. Once you know what to do then, follow up and follow through. Don't just ask and take; there should be real human interaction and appreciation involved. And remember: speed and polish will always set you apart from the crowd. 4) Be authentic and honest Whether posting articles online or networking within your industry, make sure that whatever you do is genuine. Most people are putting on an act to try and get ahead. You can easily differentiate yourself by being forthright and sincere. 5) Give first and be generous Offer help or advice to those within your network as well. Your perspective is valuable, so find ways to help them think about things differently and work with them on any challenges they face. In this way, you can position yourself as a thought leader. 6) Craft low-lift requests Make sure whatever you're asking for is doable, even for the busiest person. Do the first three steps for them whenever possible—whether you're asking for a piece of professional advice, a letter of recommendation, or an introduction. Please don't make them ask questions about what you need. For example, if you're seeking an introduction, include an email already written that they can copy and paste and adjust as needed. 7) Use a system that works for you Make your own system for keeping in touch—in other words, a personal relationship management (PRM) system. Keep track of who you've spoken to, when you talked, how you're connected to them, what you talked about, etc. ~ What else would you add to this list? 📕 If you enjoyed this post, don’t forget to save for later.