Did you know 85% of jobs are obtained through networking? And many jobs are never even publicly posted. But what is networking? Networking involves utilizing personal connections to get noticed by employers, but it can take many shapes — one-on-one, at a career fair, online, over time or over coffee. Remember, anyone in your life could be a connector for your career: recruiters, professors, classmates, alumni or friends.
Download a handout: Networking: Overview, Tools and Elevator Pitches
Top Tips for Networking
1. Network on LinkedIn
Connect with people from your field, share your digital résumé, find jobs and follow company news. A LinkedIn profile is your online professional footprint, so now is the time to evaluate what you want to include. Here is an overview for creating a great LinkedIn profile and other LinkedIn tips.
2. Network at Career Fairs, Events & Conferences.
Register for fairs, panels, presentations, info sessions and more on Handshake. In-person, virtual, and hybrid career events are offered each term at OSU; check the Career Events page for more info. After attending these events, introduce yourself to employers and alumni you meet there and follow up. If you attend a conference, try to meet as many people as you can. Go out to lunch with contacts, collect business cards and follow up with them after the event.
3. Participate in a Job Shadow
Job shadows are an opportunity to observe a professional in your field or position of interest. The time varies depending on availability and type of position — some shadows last an hour, others several days. Oregon State offers an official job shadow program with a pre-selected list of interested companies. Learn more about being part of the OSU Job Shadow Program.
4. Monitor your online presence.
Remember to check your privacy settings and be thoughtful before posting anything on social media that could make an employer think twice about hiring you. This could include photos that show illegal behavior, aggressive or disparaging online comments, and any other posts that you would not feel comfortable discussing with a potential employer.
5. Network During a Job Search
Don’t hesitate to make personal contact with companies of interest. For example, call or email a hiring manager to ask questions about a job before applying. Follow up after submitting an application to inquire about interview timelines. Send thank you notes or emails after an interview. All of these methods do one thing: keep you in the employer’s mind.
6. Conduct Informational Interviews
An informational interview is a conversation with a professional who can give you insight into a company, position or career path. This can be a human resources representative, an OSU alum — anyone who can serve as a connector. You can call or email employers and politely ask for an informational interview or “to come by and introduce myself.” If they accept, show up looking professional with insightful questions, and be prepared to talk about your qualifications. You are NOT interviewing for a real job, it’s just a meet-and-greet that builds a relationship and potentially opens future doors at the company. Check out the Informational Interviews page for more information.
7. Network Through OSU Contacts and Student Organizations
Attend your favorite professor’s office hours and ask if they know anyone hiring and if they could make an introduction for you. Talk with your academic advisor, Ecampus success coach, or college-specific career advisor. Keep in touch with friends who are hired at companies of interest and ask them how they can connect you. Join one of Oregon State's student clubs and organizations. Many of these bring in industry speakers and visit employer sites that can be great for networking. Find the right student organization for your career interests.
Sample Networking Questions
So you’ve made that contact. You attended the career fair, you asked for the informational interview, but now what? Here are some sample questions to get you started!
Remember, this is a two-way conversation; it’s about learning, listening and getting to know someone. You should talk about yourself and your interests to a degree, but this is not the time for a rehearsed speech. Focus on learning from the other person. Use these questions to spark further conversation.
We've divided our sample questions into two categories:
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Relational questions
- Relational questions should be used for engaging with alumni, networking with someone in a field you're interested in, or during an informal meeting with a potential employer, for example.
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Questions for recruiters
- Scenarios when you might use questions for recruiters include: when you are having an informational interview, when you are meeting a rep from a company at a career fair, or when you are speaking with someone who has a direct role in hiring.
Click on the options below to find example networking questions
- How did you get to where you are today?
- What is the most rewarding part of your job?
- What is the most challenging aspect of working in your position/in your industry?
- What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
- Where do you see the industry going in XXX area?
- How is your industry different today than it was 10 years ago?
- What are the top technical or computer skills you recommend people in your industry develop?
- What other companies or entities do you partner with for your work?
- What is your company doing that is really innovative and new?
- Who else can you connect me with at your company or in the industry?
- How did you get to where you are today?
- What is the most rewarding part of your job?
- What is the most challenging aspect of working in your position/in your industry?
- What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
- Where do you see the industry going in XXX area?
- How is your industry different today than it was 10 years ago?
- What are the top technical or computer skills you recommend people in your industry develop?
- What other companies or entities do you partner with for your work?
- What is your company doing that is really innovative and new?
- Who else can you connect me with at your company or
- How did you get to where you are today?
- What is the most rewarding part of your job?
- What is the most challenging aspect of working in your position/in your industry?
- What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?
- Where do you see the industry going in XXX area?
- How is your industry different today than it was 10 years ago?
- What are the top technical or computer skills you recommend people in your industry develop?
- What other companies or entities do you partner with for your work?
- What is your company doing that is really innovative and new?
- Who else can you connect me with at your company or in the industry?
- What is the best part about working at your company?
- What really makes a résumé stand out to you?
- What is the #1 mistake applicants make?
- What is your company culture like?
- If I were to be offered this position, what could I do now to help me prepare so I can hit the ground running?
- Can you describe a day in the life in this position?
- Are there people currently in a role like this I could meet and learn more from their experiences?
- What does your team do for fun or team building?
- What is the work-life balance like at this company?
- What opportunities exist for advancement or professional development within the company?
How to make professional connections
Watch this video for help learning how to network and ask for an informational interview, and discover the importance of building long-lasting professional relationships.
(Tip: log in via your university email to view any of more than 18,000 LinkedIn Learning courses for free.)
Networking with OSU Alumni
Reaching out to the community of 200,000+ members of Beaver Nation around the world is an excellent way to start networking. Your shared connection to Oregon State gives you an immediate starting point for conversation, and you can use tools specific to the OSU community to find working professionals in the fields you're interested in.
OSU Connections
OSU Connections is a networking platform specific to Oregon State University. Create an account, log in, and begin building your professional connections. OSU Connections is a good way to get introduced to like-minded Beavers and find job possibilities. The directory lists thousands of OSU alumni and their current jobs and industries. The mentoring function in OSU Connections allows you to search for Beavs who have specifically indicated they're open to supporting new professionals.
OSU Alumni on LinkedIn
Use the built-in tools in LinkedIn to find working professionals who also graduated from Oregon State. On the Oregon State University LinkedIn page, click the "alumni" tab to view a listing of more than 150,000+ people who have listed OSU as their alma mater. You can search listings by title, keyword or company, or filter geographically if you'd like to network with OSU alums near you. There's also a private LinkedIn group just for OSU students, alumni and staff, the Beaver Careers Group, that you can join.
OSU Alumni Association
Getting involved with the OSU Alumni Association is a great way to build relationships with fellow Beavs. They host regular alumni Q&A panels, networking events, and volunteer opportunities – these alumni events, both virtual and in-person, are open to students and are a great way to get to know people. You can also find OSU alumni through a network of affinity groups: the OSUAA has regional groups around the country, international groups in multiple locations outside the U.S., and more than a dozen groups dedicated to Beavs with shared identities or professions.