Get Started Networking Now

At NYU-SCPS, we believe it’s never too soon—or too late—to begin to network. Listed below are some tips that will help you along the way.

Ways to Build Your Network

Professional Associations. Professional associations sponsor conferences and seminars, and they offer a wide array of career development and networking opportunities. You can join professional associations while you are still in school, and fees are greatly reduced for college students. For a list of professional associations in your industry sector, please talk to your career counselor, ask your professors and do your own research online.

Stay Connected with your Alma Mater. Reaching out to alumni from any of the schools you attended can be a great way to build your network. Many schools have searchable alumni databases that allow you to seek out and contact alumni who are working in your industry or in an industry into which you are interested in transitioning. Many schools also sponsor formal and informal alumni events that provide an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and to build new relationships.

Volunteering. Volunteering provides the opportunity to build your professional network, while simultaneously gaining valuable skills and positively impacting the lives of others. Idealist.org is a great resource for researching volunteer opportunities in which to get involved.

Take a Class. Continuing education classes, short-term training, and other professional development courses not only enhance your skill set, but provide an ideal opportunity to meet new people and to establish professional relationships. You never know who will be sitting next to you in a class and how they can help to move your career forward.

Informational Interviews. Informational interviewing is a valuable component of the career exploration and job search process, especially when making a career transition. Informational interviews are one-on-one meetings, focused on gathering information—conducted in-person or over the phone—with a professional working in your field of interest. Unlike a regular job interview, you will be asking most of the questions. The goal of the interview is to ground you in the field and to prepare you for future interviews that can lead to employment.