7 Networking Tips for Graduate Students 

Networking—much like graduate school—is an investment in your career. In fact, a 2021 study showed that 18% of professionals found their current jobs through some form of networking, making it a vital skill for anyone hoping to advance in their field. Luckily, as a professional pursuing a graduate degree or certificate, you’re in the perfect environment to hone your networking skills and make new connections that could benefit your career for years to come.

From classmates and professors to alumni and industry professionals, you’ll be surrounded by dozens of like-minded people during your graduate studies, so it’s crucial to know how to network effectively for future success.

The importance of networking in graduate school

As a graduate student, networking is crucial for your career. By building relationships during your graduate studies, you can create a lifelong professional support network. Additionally, making networking a priority during your academic journey will allow you to directly recognize some incredible benefits.

Key benefits of networking for graduate students

• Job prospects: leverages connections for job referrals and early access to opportunities
• Professional growth: offers insights into industry trends and best practices through engagement with professionals
• Mentorship opportunities: facilitates relationships with mentors for guidance and support
• Research collaborations: opens doors to collaborative research projects and funding opportunities
• Soft skills development: improves communication, adaptability, and social skills
• Expands cultural perspectives: exposes students to diverse viewpoints, enriching their professional outlook
• Confidence building: boosts self-confidence in professional capabilities and potential
• Long-term support network: cultivates a lasting network of peers and professionals for ongoing support and resources

This comprehensive approach to networking highlights its crucial role not only in securing a job post-graduation but also in building the foundation for a successful professional life. Actively engaging in networking opportunities can be the key to fully realizing your career potential. To develop networking strategies—whether you’re taking classes on campus or online—consider the following networking tips.

7 networking tips for graduate students

1. Get involved.

One benefit of graduate school is the various opportunities to engage with classmates, professors, and industry leaders. Take every chance you get to build personal relationships with your peers and professors within the classroom, and stay on the lookout for university events you can attend or industry-aligned clubs you can join in your spare time. Doing so will give you a chance to connect on a more personal level with the people in your program and will likely offer opportunities to expand your network outside of the university, since many events and groups bring in guest speakers or thought leaders as part of their programming.

Don’t limit yourself to only industry-aligned groups, though. While it can be tempting to focus only on accomplishing your specific career goals, getting involved in other groups and clubs can offer you an opportunity to connect with people in more varied fields. These types of connections often prove equally as vital as industry-specific ones when it comes to advancing your career down the line.

Networking for online students: How to get involved

While engaging with your university community might appear challenging in an online setting, there are a number of strategic ways to effectively network within an online program.

For example, if you enroll in an online program at a university that is local to you, there’s no reason you can’t take advantage of on-campus activities. Check out the school’s calendar and student activities page, and sign up for an event or student group that appeals to you. You’re an integral part of the college’s community, so take advantage of all the extracurricular activities it has to offer. These groups are also often more social in nature and can provide a more laid-back way to make connections that will serve you in the future.

If you are not local to the university at which you are pursuing your degree, look for online communities to join. Try searching social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for broad groups that align with your field or area of interest, and join the conversation there. You may also consider starting your own online group that includes a weekly video call or an email exchange with other students in your program in which you discuss industry trends, a topic covered in class, and more. No matter your approach, getting involved—even online—can go a long way in building your professional network. 

2. Let your region help define your network.

Depending on where your university is located, there may be unique opportunities for you to network with local professionals while in grad school. Take the time to research your area and find local professional organizations or industry-aligned events off-campus that may provide the chance to meet others within your field. This kind of local networking will be especially prudent if you plan on staying in the region you’re studying in post-graduation, as the relationships you build with companies or professionals during school have the potential to turn into employment opportunities.

Some students benefit from strategically choosing their grad school location based on the networking and employment opportunities available to them there. Northeastern, for example, has campuses in Boston, Charlotte, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver, among others. Each of these cities is brimming with world-class businesses, nonprofits, and cultural events that students can leverage in expanding their network, yet certain locations are more closely aligned with specific industries. If you were in graduate school for science or technology, for instance, you may consider the Seattle campus, as those are two top industries in the area. If you were pursuing a career in financial services and business, on the other hand, you might consider Charlotte.

Another benefit of attending a university with multiple locations is that you have the chance to network across cities. Whether you’re an alum of the Toronto campus or Silicon Valley campus, having the university in common is a quick way to make a connection with someone, even on the other side of the continent. 

Networking for online students: How your region plays a role

In the same way that a common city can connect people, online learners have their own community of virtual classmates with whom they can network.

If you live in the same city as your classmates, arrange meetings with your professors or other local students whenever possible. It can also be helpful to look for those opportunities to get involved in your area—such as industry events or speakers—and ask a classmate to join you. Not only will you have the chance to get to know that person, but you’ll both have the opportunity to mingle with others in your field. Any face-to-face interaction you can manage will widen your network and create deeper, more meaningful connections.

If you don’t share a city with any of your classmates or professors, you also have a unique advantage in networking, as it’s likely that they, too, are feeling similar limitations and are just as eager to make a connection. Be proactive and introduce yourself to your classmates online in this scenario, whether as part of a class discussion board or via a networking site like LinkedIn. Exchange some information about yourself and your career goals—including your job title, industry, and motivations for pursuing your degree. Then, recommend continuing the conversation via email, on the phone, or even via video to further explore your common interests outside of class. Having a connection like this in your program can make a positive impact on not only your future career but your time pursuing your graduate degree as well.

3. Reach out to your professors.

Your professors are a valuable resource, not just in terms of the skills and industry expertise they provide, but for the connections they offer. Many professors are industry experts with links to key thought leaders and organizations. Reach out and get to know them beyond the classroom, either during office hours or through an informal coffee chat.

At universities like Northeastern—which specialize in providing its students with experiential learning opportunities—look to your professors as a representation of the network, and watch them first hand as they align their students with hands-on learning opportunities in the industry. Witnessing the benefits of successful networking while still in graduate school will hopefully motivate you to continue making strong connections throughout your career.

Networking for online students: Reaching out to professors

For students in online classes, cultivating relationships with professors is almost more important than it is for those who study on campus. This is because the time you invest in networking with your professors might be the only chance you will both have to learn about each other’s backgrounds, motivations, and aspirations.

If you don’t feel like you can reach out and make a personal connection with a professor directly, start by actively engaging during class time. Online classes typically have discussion boards for comments and questions regarding assignments. Remain lively in these forums and connect with your teachers and fellow students by asking and answering questions regularly. Allow your professor to get to know you by your participation, laying the groundwork for any professional networking relationship you wish to pursue later on.

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4. Do your research.

Whether you’re an on-ground or online student, a benefit of graduate school is having a “free pass” of sorts when it comes to networking with industry professionals. Those who may not otherwise consider speaking with you if you were their peer or already active in the workforce may be more likely to do so while you’re still in the learning phase of your professional career. Take advantage of this fruitful time, and connect with as many people as you can in the most impactful way possible. 

One of the best ways to ensure your connections are impactful is to do your research before an event or class to determine who will be there. From students to professors and other professionals, if there’s someone you’re interested in meeting, do your due diligence to learn where they are in their career and the path they took to get there. You may locate this information in online articles or bios if they are a notable enough name; otherwise, you can simply browse their LinkedIn and X profiles to learn more about their background. 

Having this information in your back pocket can allow you to strike up a conversation from a place of knowledge. After all, you may only get 30 seconds to interact with this person, and you want to spend that time discussing a very tailored question or topic based on your research, not waste it on something general or mundane. 

5. Be helpful to others.

We’ve all heard the adage that relationships are as much about giving as they are about taking; the relationships you make with those in your network should be no different. Creating and maintaining effective professional connections takes work. It’s essential that you are proactive in sustaining the relationships you make while in grad school so they don’t dissolve over time.

A fundamental way to do this is to be known as a resource to others. Whether you’re organizing a study group for an upcoming exam or sending a few relevant industry-related articles to a classmate, by sharing your time and knowledge, you’ll establish stronger relationships with those in your program and demonstrate that you value their connection.

Another way to offer help is to become an active member of your own network. Let’s say, for example, you are pursuing a Master of Science in Global Studies and, in your networking efforts, you come across an individual in a top role at a global healthcare organization. Even if you have no intention of parlaying your degree into a healthcare role, if you know of a classmate who does, it doesn’t hurt to offer to make an introduction on your classmate’s behalf. It’s up to your classmate whether or not they want to capitalize on that introduction, but you have at least shown thoughtfulness by making the offer.

Being mindful of the career goals of those in your professional network will also allow you to develop stronger relationships, and it may even inspire your connections to reciprocate the favor in the future.

6. Keep your online presence active and up to date.

So much of networking today is done online, which levels the playing field between on-ground and online learners. Just as you would in person, make sure to put your best and most professional foot forward when making virtual connections, as well.

When networking on social media, you want to put the most effort into maintaining your profiles on professional sites like LinkedIn. Make sure your page includes a tasteful photo and cover image, a personal summary, and an overview of your skills. This will give your online connections a better sense of your personality, abilities, and goals, and make those relationships more meaningful.

 Learn more: 8 LinkedIn Profile Tips To Improve Your Marketability

As much as we’d like to believe that potential employers or industry connections only see the pages we spend time carefully shaping to best reflect our professional selves, the reality is that our entire online presence is easily accessible to those in (and often outside of) our network. For that reason, be mindful of what you post on all your channels. Avoid offensive language or imagery, and try to view everything you publish through the eyes of a potential employer. While this may feel restricting to some, it’s important that your online presence remains professional for more reasons than just your network’s sake. Companies today also admit to increased use of social media when screening potential candidates for jobs. 

Your social profiles can do more than connect you with those in your network, however. When used strategically, they can also act as a portfolio of your work. Many graphic designers, for instance, use Instagram to display their artwork. Writers, on the other hand, may use a blogging site to maintain a running collection of their pieces. Others still may choose to include a link to their ePortfolio on their LinkedIn page or in their X bio as a representation of their accomplishments. Leveraging these platforms as a tool to share your work will not only give those you connect with in person a chance to explore what you can do further, but it may actually initiate new relationships with others who stumble upon your work and want to connect, as well.

To effectively use social media, it’s important to know each platform’s unique strengths and leverage them to enhance your networking strategy. There are some specific ways social media can be used to expand your network.

LinkedIn:

• Optimize your profile: Ensure your LinkedIn profile is complete and up to date. Use a professional photo, craft a compelling headline that captures your career aspirations, and detail your experiences and skills in the summary and experience sections. Recommendations from professors and colleagues can also enhance your credibility in your field.
• Engage with content: Regularly share and comment on relevant industry news. This not only shows your active involvement in your field but also increases your visibility in the network.
• Connect: When connecting with professionals, personalize your request with a note mentioning any common connections or interests. Follow up with a brief message about your aspirations and how you hope to engage with their work.

X:

• Follow industry leaders: Use X to follow thought leaders in your field. Engaging with their content through likes, retweets, and thoughtful comments can get you noticed.
• Share your insights: Tweet about your academic and professional interests. Use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts to people following those topics.
• Participate in discussions: X chats are a great way to engage with a community interested in specific topics. Participate actively and offer your perspectives.

Facebook:

• Join industry-specific groups: Participate in groups catering to different professions and industries by asking questions, sharing insights, and contributing to discussions.
• Attend virtual events: Many professional groups host webinars and live discussions on Facebook. Attending these events can be a great way to learn new things and connect with speakers and participants.
• Create a professional presence: Consider creating a separate, more professional Facebook profile to engage with these groups and events.

These types of online networking strategies can lead to opportunities and notable connections that may have been more difficult to make in person.

7. Stay in touch. 

Once you’ve established new connections, it’s essential that you keep in touch with them. While you may see certain classmates and professors frequently, make sure not to lose contact with those you don’t see as regularly. This will also make it easier for them to help you when you need a favor or remember you when they have something of value to offer.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Networking works best when you are unafraid to ask for support, from advice to mentorship and resources. As long as you can maintain a strong relationship with your network, then asking for guidance should be not only expected, but encouraged.

Overcoming networking challenges

Networking can be an overwhelming experience, especially for those who are afraid of rejection. However, there are strategies that can help you navigate these challenges effectively. Starting with smaller and more manageable networking steps can significantly ease the process. This approach allows you to gradually build your confidence without feeling the pressure of large-scale events or direct outreach to high-profile professionals.

Preparing a brief introduction about yourself and having a few questions ready can also make interactions smoother. Practicing these strategies in low-stakes environments can help make networking experience less intimidating.

Additionally, focus on common interests rather than immediate benefits to make interactions more authentic, and always remember that networking is a journey of personal and professional growth.

How to start expanding your network

As you navigate your academic journey, expanding your network in graduate school by embracing the various opportunities to do so is crucial for laying the groundwork for a successful career. Northeastern is a fantastic place for connecting with a diverse array of individuals, from peers and professionals to faculty and alumni, all of whom can play a significant role in your professional development. Participating in Northeastern’s co-op programs, for instance, merges academic learning with real-world experience, offering a unique platform to cultivate those important professional relationships. Similarly, engaging with faculty members and tapping into the alumni network can provide mentorship and guidance that is invaluable in your career journey.

By actively participating in these programs and attending university events, you can significantly expand your professional network while also contributing to the university community. Additionally, online forums and study groups can enhance this experience, providing opportunities for collaboration and shared learning that often lead to long-lasting professional relationships.

If you’re looking to build a network as well as join a community of innovators, leaders, and change-makers for ultimate success, consider Northeastern’s unique co-op programs, global network, and industry connections.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of a graduate degree? Explore additional articles on achieving grad school success, including “7 Career-Focused Reasons to Pursue a Graduate Degree” and “4 Industries Where a Graduate Degree Pays Off.” 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated for relevancy and clarity.