Networking
Networking cultivates relationships to leverage in your job-search and career-development processes. These relationships can provide information, support and job leads. Networking occurs in formal and informal settings and consists of meeting and talking to people, asking questions, organizing information and following up on referrals.
What is networking?
Networking is a strategy used to cultivate relationships both in person and online to leverage in your career development process. Get additional help or tips by meeting with a Business Career Services advisor.
Networking strategies
- Connect with alumni through the KU Business Mentoring Program and through the KU Mentoring platform.
- Make a list of everyone you know — and the people they know — and identify how they could help you gather information for your career/job search. What are their passions/specializations/interests? What can you learn from them?
- Join a professional organization that relates to your career interests.
- Volunteer and get involved in your community.
- Speak to company representatives at Business Career Services or School of Business events, even if you are not ready for a job.
- Attend company information sessions or tables and speak to the recruiters in attendance.
- Schedule informational interviews.
- Create a LinkedIn profile, and join one of our alumni groups:
LinkedIn tips
- Join professional groups related to your career.
- Complete your LinkedIn profile as thoroughly as possible.
- View our student sample profile on LinkedIn. Use this to guide you as you develop your first LinkedIn profile.
- Use a professional photo of yourself.
- Update your profile regularly.
Networking tips
Be prepared.
- If you are in the initial stages of your career planning, you may want to use your contacts for informational interviewing and career research.
- If you are in the later stages of the process, you might consider networking to obtain job leads, referrals or advice on how to conduct your job search. Enter conversations knowing what you hope to get out of it. Prepare questions to facilitate the discussion.
- Review your accomplishments. Know what you are seeking and what you have to offer. Consider your skills, interests and values. Knowing yourself will allow you to connect with contacts with greater ease and confidence and deliver the best impression. Practice your introduction or “commercial.”
Be sincere.
- The best networkers are sincerely interested in people. Do not seek out contacts just because you believe they could somehow benefit you. Instead, cultivate relationships with those whom you are genuinely interested in.
- Remember to be courteous, professional and gracious at all times.
Take the time.
- Forming relationships can be time-consuming. One meeting is not enough to solidify a new contact. Keep in touch and make time for several interactions.
Resources
- Meetup.com: Identify professional meetups by filtering events through "Career and Business."
- KU Mentoring
Kansas City metro career and business resources
All communities have a Chamber of Commerce; if you’re searching in an area other than Kansas City, identify the Chamber for your targeted location to research prospective organizations in your interest area.
- Kansas City Chamber of Commerce: Go to the membership directory and type in a keyword to help you identify prospective employers in the Kansas City area. The membership pages also link to company websites and associated career opportunities.
- Lawrence Chamber of Commerce
- Topeka Chamber of Commerce
- Kansas City Area Development Council: Identify emerging opportunities and find a list of organizations headquartered in the area, as well as economic profiles.
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
- Central Exchange KC: A women’s networking group in Kansas City