Your network is one of your most powerful tools, and the community you build on campus is a big part of your pre-professional network. Your campus connections can help you land not only your first post-college job but other opportunities far down the road.
Here are just a few people who you should consider part of your network:
- classmates, especially the ones you work closely with on group projects or labs
- your professors and TAs, especially the ones within your major
- coworkers from on-campus jobs or volunteer work
How to nurture these connections:
- join (or start) a campus organization or club that aligns with your interests
- look for events or talks that look interesting to you, and reach out to the organizers and offer to help at the event
- research campus leaders and see who took a path that looks interesting to you. Then reach out via email and ask if you can connect for a chat (remember, their job is to nuruture and support you)
The most important thing when building your network is to stay true to yourself: follow your interests (even as they evolve) and reach out to people you think you will genuinely enjoy getting to know. And remember, you are an important part of other peoples’ networks, too! As you think about how people can support you, think about how you can support others.