Networking

What is Networking?

Networking is the process of building and leveraging relationships with people, such as peers and alumni, who will become your community of colleagues and friends as you move through your career. In the United States, networking is a common way to connect with professionals who can teach you about their jobs and organizations (and, in turn, learn from you).  

When networking, you should not overtly ask for employment. If you say, “Do you have a job for me?” the answer is likely to be “no,” and then the conversation is over. If you meet a networking contact who offers to recommend you for or refer you to a job, that is a bonus. However, it is not an expectation that you should impose on a professional contact.

Read on to learn more about why you should network and how networking works in academic settings. Then, gain insight into how you can develop your network, set up an informational interview, create a professional pitch, and curate your LinkedIn profile.

Why Should I Network?

Networking can be key to securing employment in the United States, and it should be a priority as you explore career options and apply for jobs. Networking activities could result in the following: 

• Improved conversation skills and ability to discuss your work 
• A chance to understand a field’s professional jargon and norms 
• Job search advice specific to a field 
• A new professional ally 
• Names of additional people to contact, which may result in follow-up conversations and opportunities to connect 
• A referral or other advantage in your job applications

How Do I Develop My Network?

Chances are that you already know more people than you realize. Your network may include the following: 

• Family, friends, roommates, and significant others 
• Classmates, faculty, staff, and alumni 
• Past and present co-workers 
• Neighbors, clubmates, and members of associations or religious communities 
• Acquaintances that you meet at the gym, cafes, and neighborhood stores 
• Connections on social networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Opportunities to network can arise at any time and place, but this does not mean that networking comes easily, of course. If the idea of networking in a crowd or event makes you uncomfortable, you can control the environment by building connections through one-on-one informational interviews. You can leverage LinkedIn and UChicago’s alumni network to identify professionals who you would like to interview. You can also order UChicago business cards, which are a handy way to share your contact information when you meet someone new. 

Do you have additional questions about networking? Meet with a career advisor to create a successful outreach strategy and practice your professional pitch. 

How Do I Schedule an Informational Interview?

Informational interviews are semi-formal conversations with professionals who are working in fields that interest you. They allow you to “interview” a professional to learn useful information about their day-to-day work and the best ways to break into their field. Informational interviews are a common form of networking in the United States, and they are frequently used by job seekers to meet people who can assist with their job search.

Informational interviews are not job interviews. The professionals with whom you meet will not, in most cases, be able to offer you a job. Rather, these professionals can share their stories and give you advice, perspective, and additional connections that will make the job search easier. In some cases, these professionals can alert you to new job postings or even become long-term mentors.

If you are concerned that busy professionals may not have the time or interest to speak with you, know that many professionals see informational interviews as a way to “pay it forward” and help the next generation, just as someone helped them. Many people also like talking about their experiences and sharing their stories—they may be flattered that you asked. In some cases, you may even be able to help the professional you interview by offering a fresh perspective or connections to people that you know.

Where Should I Start?

First, decide who you would like to interview. You can start by talking to a professional who is already in your immediate network, such as a former colleague, current classmate, friend, or family member. You should not stop there, however. Think next about your extended network or any professionals who you do not yet know but would like to meet. You can identify potential interviewees via LinkedIn, the UChicago Alumni Directory, and company webpages.

To set up an informational interview, you can send a message via email, LinkedIn, or the Alumni Directory messaging function. Email is usually the preferred medium for outreach, but it is not always possible to find the email addresses of potential interviewees. Your request should take the form of a brief, one-paragraph message in which you introduce yourself, express interest in the person’s career path, and ask for ask for a short meeting (both in-person and phone/zoom are great options depending on circumstances). You do not need to attach your résumé to the email, and you do not need to write a message that lists all of your questions and worries. You can review a sample message below.

Subject: UChicago PhD Student Interested in CCS

Dear Emily,​

I hope this email finds you well. I’m writing because I found your profile on LinkedIn while searching for roles in consulting. Prior to pursuing a PhD in English at UChicago, I worked in the non-profit space and I’m beginning to explore careers in non-profit consulting. Your trajectory from UChicago to CCS resonated with me, and I’d like to learn more. Would you be willing to have a conversation on the phone or Zoom in the next few weeks so I can learn more about the industry and your day-to-day work? I look forward to speaking with you soon!​

Sincerely,​

Mario

If the potential interviewee does not respond to your request, wait at least a week before following up. Do not take it personally if you never hear back. Most likely, the individual is simply busy and did not find time to reply. However, you can increase your odds of receiving a response by making the experience as convenient as possible for the interviewee, including offering to meet at a location or platform of their choosing.

How Do I Conduct an Informational Interview?

Prior to any informational interview, be sure to research the person and their organization so that you are not asking questions that you could answer via a quick online search. Practice introducing yourself, and draft a list of open-ended questions that will help you organize the flow of the conversation.

• Could you tell me about any recent projects?
• How has your day-to-day work differed at X company as opposed to Y company?
• What do you like about your work? What are the most challenging parts?
• What skills did you gain from your MA/PhD/postdoc that have helped you in your career?
• Would you mind telling me about your career path and how you got to your current position?
• What advice do you have for someone with my background who wants to enter this field/company?
• Would you be open to further communication?
• Is there someone here or elsewhere that you’d recommend I speak with?

Most interviewees are happy to discuss their work and experience on an introductory level, but some will prefer that you have specific questions that only they can answer. It is always okay to ask if you suspect this might be the case. Be respectful of the interviewee by starting and ending your meeting on time. Feel free to take notes as the person talks—after all, you are there to learn.

How Do I Follow Up after an Informational Interview?

Always send a thank-you email within 24 hours of finishing an informational interview. Add the professional as a new contact on LinkedIn and personalize the LinkedIn request with a short message. As your career exploration or job search continues, you should follow up with the person at least once to provide a status update, especially if the interviewee suggested additional contacts or resources. You should also be alert to ways that you can help the interviewee in the future by sending a relevant article or providing a professional connection of your own.

Want to learn more about how to get the most out of informational interviews? Schedule an advising appointment today with a UChicagoGRAD career advisor.

What Makes an Effective Professional Pitch?

If you have ever gone to an academic conference, career fair, employer info session, or networking event, chances are that you have had to introduce yourself to someone you have never met before. These introductions can be challenging, especially when you want to make a good impression. So, what do you do when someone turns to you and says, “Tell me about yourself”? This is when a good professional pitch comes in handy.

A professional pitch is a concise statement that introduces you by answering questions like “Who are you?” and “What do you do?” Generally, such a pitch ranges from 30-60 seconds—just enough time to communicate specific information to someone whose attention is limited. This is why a professional pitch is sometimes called an “elevator pitch.” Imagine you have entered an elevator and you see someone you would like to meet. What would you say to that person to help them learn more about you before they reach their floor?

A good professional pitch provides the groundwork for further conversation. The pitch is not meant to be a run-through of your résumé or an exhaustive list of your skills and experiences. Instead, a good professional pitch accomplishes three goals:

• It tells the listener what you are doing now (or shares your most recent career or educational milestone).
• It provides a big-picture summary of who you are (in one to three sentences).
• It highlights one or two significant experiences that support this summary and reveals something unique about you.

These three goals can also serve as a basic outline for structuring your professional pitch. After letting your listener know what you are doing at present—for example, completing an MA or PhD program—formulate a big-picture summary of yourself that describes your most important skills, characteristics, or experiences. For example:

“I consider myself a problem-solver, and I love using data science to solve complex challenges.”

Then, share details about one or two of your most significant academic or professional experiences. You could include brief descriptions of a recent internship, job, or research project, or you could discuss a specific skill you have been developing.

Your professional pitch should be flexible and may change depending on your audience. Do not forget that making a good impression involves more than just having the right words. How you say those words matters. When introducing yourself to new people, show enthusiasm, make eye contact, and demonstrate interest in the other person. With a good pitch, you will have a solid foundation for making new contacts and expanding your professional network.

How Do I Create an Impactful LinkedIn Profile?

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform with over a billion users in more than 200 countries. The platform helps you connect with professionals, search for jobs, engage with professional associations, and build knowledge about organizations. It is an essential career exploration and networking tool. The platform enables you to create a profile, connect with professionals, search for jobs, engage with professional associations, and build knowledge about organizations. It is an essential career exploration and networking tool. How do you create a strong LinkedIn profile?

Header

The header is your profile’s prime real estate. It includes a cover image, profile picture, name, and headline. The headline is the customizable, 120-character line of text immediately underneath your name. Think of the headline as your branding statement. What do you want people to know about you at a glance? Use keywords that you want associated with your profile. Review other people’s headlines for inspiration.

About

The “About” section tells a first-person narrative of who you are and where you are headed with your career. You can think of it as a one- to two-paragraph personal statement that emphasizes your strengths and accomplishments.

Experience

Your “Experience” section conveys the positions you’ve held and what you accomplished in each one. The most recent and relevant experiences get more description, typically in the form of concise bullet points. Make sure that these descriptions are easily understood by a wide audience. Your graduate or postdoctoral research and teaching experience should be included in this section. 

Education

Your “Education” section includes your earned (or in progress) degrees, with the title of your thesis or dissertation included, as appropriate. Save any descriptions of your educational experiences for the “Experience” section. Postdoctoral experience should not go into the “Education” section. 

Additional

Each LinkedIn profile concludes with additional skills, endorsements, recommendations, honors, volunteer activities, publications, patents, and other accomplishments. As you fill out this section, keep in mind that you are trying to paint a picture of where you are headed with your career—not just where you’ve been. Choose what to include accordingly.

How do I Build LinkedIn Connections?

LinkedIn is an excellent tool for finding new connections. Start by identifying appropriate alumni, either from UChicago or your previous academic institutions, as well as professionals who work in your target organizations or geographic areas. You can then reach out to them in a variety of ways:

• Connect Directly. Send a connection request to a potential contact with a customized note. Though your note is limited to 300 characters, you should try this method first.
• Get an Introduction. Find a connection you have in common. Then, write a note to your mutual connection, asking them to introduce you.
• Send an InMail. InMail is the name of LinkedIn’s messaging function, which provides unlimited characters and messages. If you have a basic (free) LinkedIn account, you can only send InMails to existing connections. To send InMails to people who are not yet connections, you must upgrade to a premium (paid) account.
• Message a Fellow Group Member. You can join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn, from alumni groups to groups focused on a specific career path. After being a member of that group for at least four days, you can send up to fifteen free one-to-one messages to fellow group members each month. This limit is set for all the groups to which you belong (and not for each group individually). Note that only the original message is counted towards the limit; any back-and-forth replies from either party are free.

How Do I Connect with Alumni?

UChicago’s Alumni & Friends platform makes it easy to find and connect with alumni who are from your degree program or who work in your industry or region. UChicago has thousands of alumni across all divisions, industries, and locations, many of whom are interested in being a resource for you. The Alumni & Friends platform also provides information about affinity-based “communities.” By navigating to “Club Leadership,” students and postdocs can find potential mentors and networking opportunities with alumni whose journeys may resemble their own.

For more alumni career development programming and resources, visit Alumni Careers and sign up for their newsletter to learn about events and opportunities to connect with UChicago alumni. 

How Should I Network in Academic Settings?

Strong professional relationships are vital to launching an academic career. Your fellow researchers can help you improve your work, track developments in your field, understand professional norms, and create opportunities for collaboration.

If you seek to grow your academic network, consider attending workshops, lectures, and conferences, especially those hosted by scholarly associations in your field. Your advisor may also be able to facilitate introductions to relevant researchers. Social media can provide yet another means of staying informed about discussions in your field.

For support in building your academic network, schedule a one-on-one appointment with your UChicagoGRAD career advisor. Would you like to practice your research pitch, self-introduction, poster presentation, or conference talk? Schedule an oral communications advising appointment. UChicagoGRAD’s Communication Lab also offers workshops to help you build academic networking skills.