What is Networking and Why is Networking Important?

Networking is the process of forming and nurturing professional relationships within an industry or field. It involves connecting with others, sharing knowledge, and seeking collaborative opportunities. For your students, networking is crucial for building connections that can lead to academic support, career opportunities, and mentorship. 

Let’s explore the value of networking skills for students, in terms of expanding their knowledge and perspectives through interactions with peers and professionals and offering valuable resources for future job searches and professional growth.

Our Communications Skills for Business course supports educators, students, and professionals in building and leveraging their networks to achieve their goals.

What is Networking?

Networking is about building and maintaining relationships to exchange information, resources, and support. This process involves creating connections and fostering mutually beneficial relationships within a specific industry, profession, or community. Networking can occur in various settings, such as conferences, seminars, professional events, social gatherings, online platforms, and personal introductions.

Common types of networking today include:

• Professional Networking: Focuses on connecting within an industry to stay updated on trends, share knowledge, and explore career opportunities.
• Social Networking: Involves connecting in casual settings like social events or online communities to build personal relationships that may lead to professional opportunities.
• Business Networking: Aims to establish connections benefiting a business, such as meeting potential clients, partners, investors, or suppliers.
• Online Networking: Utilizes digital platforms like social media and professional networking websites to connect with others and expand a network(s).
• Helping your students understand networking is crucial: It offers numerous advantages, such as gaining new insights, learning from others' experiences, and accessing valuable resources. It can also open doors for your students to career opportunities.

Why is Networking Important?

The importance of networking cannot be overstated, as it provides numerous benefits that contribute to personal growth, career development, and the creation of new opportunities. Let's explore these benefits:

• Personal Growth: Networking offers a platform for personal growth by connecting your students with individuals from diverse backgrounds and industries, allowing them to gain new perspectives, insights, and knowledge. Engaging in meaningful conversations and building relationships with like-minded professionals helps expand your students’ horizons and foster their personal development.
• Career Development: Networking is crucial for career development. Building a strong professional network enables students to tap into resources such as job opportunities, mentorship, and industry insights. By connecting with professionals who share their career aspirations or have achieved success in their desired field(s), they can gain valuable advice, guidance, and support to accelerate their career growth.
• New Opportunities: Networking opens doors to new opportunities by establishing connections with a wide range of professionals. These connections increase students’ chances of discovering collaborations, partnerships, or business ventures. Opportunities often arise through word-of-mouth referrals, introductions, or networking events where they can meet influential individuals who can help propel their careers forward.

How to Network

Building a strong professional network is essential for your students’ future career growth and success. Here are some tips you can share with students to help them build robust professional networks:

• Attend industry events and conferences: Participate in events related to your field(s) of interest to meet new people, exchange ideas, and build relationships. College students can find industry events and conferences by checking major event platforms like Eventbrite and Handshake, using specialized conference websites such as AllConferences.com, networking with university resources like career services and faculty, joining professional associations like the Forté Foundation, and utilizing platforms like Reddit or Meetup for more niche or local events. 
• Utilize social media platforms: Utilize platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals in specific industries, join relevant groups, and engage in meaningful conversations. In addition to popular networking platforms such as LinkedIn, students should also explore these diverse networking alternatives.
• Volunteer or join professional organizations: Get involved in community or professional organizations to meet individuals with similar interests and expand your networks. Leverage campus resources, online platforms, and focus on opportunities that align with career goals. Visit student engagement or volunteer centers and attend campus job fairs to connect with vetted professional opportunities. Service-Learning Programs enable students to earn academic credit through volunteer work. Online databases such as VolunteerMatch (now part of Idealist) and DoSomething.org are a great way to find opportunities by location, cause, or skillset. 

Students should also learn proper networking etiquette and best practices:

• Set goals: Define specific goals for each networking event or interaction to stay focused and maximize your efforts.
• Prepare an elevator pitch: Craft a concise introduction that highlights your skills, experience, and interests to boost your confidence and initiate conversations.
• Be genuine and authentic: Approach networking with a sincere desire to build relationships and help others. Authenticity goes a long way in establishing trust.
• Listen actively: Show genuine interest in others by being an active listener and asking thoughtful questions. This demonstrates your attentiveness and helps forge meaningful connections.
• Follow up: After meeting someone, follow up with a personalized message to show your commitment to maintaining and ideally broadening the relationship.

These tips will help your students treat networking as an important, ongoing process that can help propel their careers forward.

Networking in the Digital Age

In today's digital age, helping students understand networking’s importance is critical to expanding their professional growth and career development. Social media platforms and online networking tools provide unprecedented opportunities for professionals to connect, collaborate, and build relationships.

Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook enable professionals to showcase their expertise, connect with industry peers, and stay updated on the latest trends. By actively engaging on these platforms, individuals can expand their professional network, discover new opportunities, and enhance their personal brand.

Online networking platforms and tools, such as Meetup, Eventbrite, and Slack, are valuable resources for professionals. These platforms enable individuals to join virtual communities, attend industry-specific events, and participate in online forums and discussions. They provide a convenient way to connect with like-minded professionals, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.

As technology advances, future networking will become more seamless and efficient. Virtual reality and augmented reality are already transforming professional interactions. Imagine attending virtual conferences, networking events, and meetings from the comfort of your home. Emerging networking technologies will continue to enhance students’ professional growth, expand their network, and stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape.

Benefits of Networking

Networking is essential for professional growth and career development. Teaching students how to build strong connections in their chosen industries will open up a world of opportunities. Here are three key networking strategies students should learn to employ for success:

• Identify and connect with potential mentors: Your students should engage and connect with experts in their chosen fields through social media, webinars, or blog post comments.These networking activities will help them build relationships that may lead to future collaborations or mentorship.
• Leverage networking events and conferences: Your students should attend relevant events to meet new people and exchange ideas. They should focus on proactively connecting with fellow attendees and fostering meaningful connections, rather than simply collecting business cards.
• Create a personal brand: Your students should develop clear elevator pitches that highlight their skills, experiences, and goals. Using online platforms like LinkedIn is a great way for them to showcase their expertise and engage with others in their preferred industries.

Implementing these activities as parts of an ongoing, long-term strategy will help your students establish strong professional networks, leading to career advancement, new opportunities, and valuable connections. 

Check out our College Readiness and Career Readiness blog to learn more about the best strategies to prepare your students for high school, college, and beyond.