When college students hear the word “networking,” I think most of us picture some variation of the same nightmare: a room full of people in business casual, plates of room-temperature appetizers, name tags, and enough awkward small talk for an entire lifetime, probably. We’re expected to walk into a room full of professionals and act like we belong there, even though many of us still call our parents over any minor inconvenience (oops).
But maybe networking isn’t as complicated as we’ve made it. If you take away the blazers and the name tags, it ends up looking like what we’ve been doing our whole lives: talking to people. Find something you have in common, ask questions, listen to what they have to say, and maybe keep in touch. Really, y’all, I think we’ve been overthinking this whole thing.Â
1. Stop Calling It Networking
Here’s my first piece of advice: stop thinking about it as networking. Seriously. The moment you tell yourself “I have to network tonight,” it becomes like 10 times more awkward and terrifying.Â
Instead, rebrand it in your mind as just meeting people. You don’t have to walk into a room with a perfectly rehearsed elevator pitch and a ten-year career plan. Introduce yourself. Have a normal, person-to-person conversation. If you happen to make a useful connection along the way, great! If not, you still end up with more experience than you had walking in.Â
2. Find your common ground
Remember how easy it was to make friends in kindergarten? You’d find out you both had the same color or watched the same cartoons and suddenly you were best friends forever. Networking is not all that different, honestly.Â
Obviously, you probably won’t ask a professional you look up to what their favorite color is, but the basic premise still applies. Maybe you both went to the same school, work in the same field, have a mutual connection, or are both at a specific event for the same reason. Start there. There is no competition to have the most interesting conversation starter. And if you can’t find some deep connection right away, that’s okay too. “Have you been to an event like this before?” is still a perfectly appropriate place to start. The goal here is to just get past “Hi, I’m ______”.Â
3. Stop trying to be impressive
When you find yourself talking to someone who has been working in their field longer than you have been alive, a specific kind of panic can creep up. Suddenly, you become very aware of everything you’ve ever done, or more accurately, everything you haven’t done yet.Â
But you don’t have to prove that you’re the most impressive person in the room. You’re a college student. Like, guys. My mom still drives me to the doctor and takes me back-to-school clothes shopping. The bar is very, very low here.Â
Instead of worrying about what you can offer someone, focus on what you can learn from them. Ask them about their career. Ask how they got started. Ask what they wish they had known in college. Being genuinely curious is a lot more memorable than trying to sound like you have everything figured out. And a lot less annoying.
4. Use the people you already know
You might not know the person who has your dream job, but there’s a decent chance you know someone who knows someone who does. My sister is the queen of this, honestly (girlboss alert!). I have been able to speak to so many incredibly impressive people just by her vouching for me and sending me an email to reach out to (thanks, sis!).Â
In your life, your friend might have a cousin in the industry. Your roommate’s mom might work in the field you’re interested in. Your professor might know someone looking for an intern. Your coworker might have a friend who works at a company you’ve been eyeing. Make your goals clear and take initiative in asking others about their experiences. Life is basically one giant network, in all honesty. Take advantage of it.Â
5. Follow up without making it weird
Once you’ve had a good conversation, the easiest thing you can do is keep it going. Luckily, we live in the year 2026, and most of us carry a tiny computer around all day.Â
If someone gives you their contact information or you connect on LinkedIn, be proactive and send them a message. It does not have to be super complicated. Say where you met, mention something you spoke about, and thank them for their time.Â
If someone does something out of their way to assist you- schedules a Zoom call, sets you up with a contact, gives you a recommendation- a handwritten thank-you note is even better. I know what you’re saying right now: who writes thank-you cards anymore? Me! It is such a small and simple gesture that will immediately make you stick out and will make them want to help you again.Â
See? Not weird. Not scarily formal. Not a paragraph that starts with “I hope this message finds you well.” Just a normal person continuing a normal conversation.Â
Full Circle
At the end of the day, networking really doesn’t have to be this intimidating, complicated thing we’ve made it out to be.Â
You don’t have to meet everyone. You don’t have to impress everyone. You don’t even have to like networking events. Just start conversations with people you find interesting and see where they go.
The point isn’t to build the biggest network possible or show off how long your resume is. It’s to build relationships with people who can teach you something, introduce you to something new, or maybe just make you feel a tad bit less lost about what comes next.