Most students know that building connections is essential. Professors, parents, professionals and many others express this importance. Networking is so much more than just meeting people. It is creating opportunities for your future, making a path to follow and getting to know people along the way.
Whether it’s meeting people through a job, internship, school club or an event, it can be overwhelming trying to find connections. But, don’t worry, there are ways that even the biggest introvert can build meaningful connections.
1. Digital connections through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a digital platform set up like social media but for professionals. Students can build connections with industry professionals from the comfort of their rooms. LinkedIn allows its users to join groups, post achievements and connect with hundreds of people, including professors, classmates, industry professionals, companies and many more.
LinkedIn makes it easy to find jobs and interviews while also making it easy to converse with the person who posted the job and ask questions based on a certain job or interview. I find that it is a great way to keep up with connections at any time of the day, anywhere.
2. Internships
For students, internships are a very effective way of gaining fundamental experience in their desired field. Through internships, students are given the opportunity to work with industry professionals and develop personal relationships and connections through hands-on work.
Connections through internships can lead to future jobs through the same company, great letters of recommendation and valuable guidance from those with hands-on experience. Internships help develop a sense of confidence for students so that when they step into the professional world, there is a sense of familiarity that allows them to perform well.
3. Joining school clubs
School clubs are sometimes overlooked. Often they are seen as a fun activity to fill your time with, but sometimes a club can allow students in an industry to gain hands-on experience at their school. Each student who attends a club meeting will eventually graduate and make their way into their desired industry.
By joining a club, students not only have the opportunity to create connections that will be very impactful in the future, but they are also given the chance to create friendships with people with similar mindsets, interests and goals. These connections can lead to leadership roles, good collaboration or even potential job/internship referrals.
4. Engage with professors and university staff
Another great way for students to network is through their professors and other staff members. All professors have degrees, they have networked, studied and had to put in the same hard work to get to where they are. They understand that students need a push to help get them going so a lot of the time, professors don’t mind giving that help.
Professors usually have access to many industry professionals in their field because of the length they spent working in that field. They have years worth of experience and many different connections from different places. Don’t be afraid to ask for their help because they are often more than willing to provide that help.
5. Student career fairs
Finally, student career fairs. Almost every university or college holds annual career fairs to help their students meet possible future employers. Schools will invite many professionals apart of many different fields, which gives students the opportunities to create connections in not only their field but other fields as well.
It’s always worth it to have a backup plan and being able to meet professionals from different fields allows that searching process to be easier and more secure. By attending these events, students get to pitch themselves to employers from many different fields while being able to learn more about different possible careers, and companies and have meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals.
If you are from Kent State, you can always look at the Career Exploration and Development calendar of events.
Networking is a great opportunity to feel better set for the future. Although it seems tough as a student to put yourself out there with not much experience, a shy personality or even fear of rejection, there are many different ways for students to push themselves in the industry. Whether it’s joining a club, internships, professors or through LinkedIn, there are many great benefits to building connections.