Creating a professional network for yourself can open up countless opportunities to advance your career. Here are some tips for networking.
In fact, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, employees who network are promoted at a faster rate. Employees who network also tend to have better-paying jobs that last longer. The connections you build in graduate school can help your career even long after you have finished your degree. These five networking tips can help you make the most of your time at graduate school.
Benefits of Networking
Community
Networking is building a community for yourself in the professional world. Having a community as you go through graduate school can not only help you professionally, but it can also boost your mental health. As you pursue your degree, a support system of your peers and mentors can help you through the many challenges that come with graduate school.
Opportunities to learn
As you get to know your peers and mentors, you will hear many different perspectives and experiences relating to your chosen field. Hearing these experiences can help you broaden your own perspective. Other people’s stories can open your mind to different ways of approaching your own career. The people around you in school may have tips on getting through academic or professional challenges, information on career advancement opportunities, or even experiences in other professions that may interest you.
Career advancement
The connections you make with other people in graduate school can help your career in more direct ways, as well. Job recommendations and job offers can come from these connections, and you may even meet other people who can help you in your career through the people you meet at graduate school. The opportunities that can arise from networking make it an essential part of your experience at graduate school.
Tips for Networking
Connect with faculty.
Connecting with faculty can help you build mentoring relationships and gain perspective from people with years of experience in the professional world. Mentorships can play a vital role in career advancement. The faculty you connect with in graduate school can mentor you in both your academic and professional career.
Collaborate with your peers.
Collaboration is an excellent way to connect with your peers, as collaborative projects can extend beyond the classroom. The collaborative projects you work on at school can continue into partnerships in the professional world. Furthermore, you can build a better network with individuals who share your professional priorities and work ethic.
Attend conferences, workshops, and seminars.
Conferences, workshops, and seminars are all great places to meet new people in addition to the people you regularly interact with at school. These are great opportunities to meet industry leaders that you wouldn’t necessarily get to talk to in your day-to-day life. Besides that, these events are places to meet peers with similar interests. You may only get a few minutes to speak with people, so it is important to do your research beforehand. You can even craft an elevator pitch to ensure you make a lasting impression.
Establish an online presence.
An online presence on websites like LinkedIn can help other people find out more about you and your accomplishments. Social media is also a great way to keep in touch with people you don’t see regularly, as it is a passive way to maintain the connections you have formed. Other people can also find you through your online presence, opening up the opportunity to form even more connections. Staying active on social media when relevant to your field can increase your online visibility. The UMBC Career Center also has great resources on building your LinkedIn profile here.
Stay in touch.
Be sure to maintain the connections in your network by keeping in touch with those people. Staying in touch even when you aren’t seeing certain people regularly is vital in creating a connection that can continue to benefit you after you have finished your degree. You never know when someone might have the perfect opportunity for you.
Start Building Your Network Today!
Reach out to the people around you and don’t be afraid to ask others for help. Graduate school is a place where you can not only learn professional skills, but you can also form the professional connections that can transform your career. Graduate school surrounds you with like-minded people in your field, making it an incredible opportunity to build a network that will help you for years to come.