Networking

What is networking?

Networking is the making and maintaining of contacts. It is something we already do unconsciously. Everyone is part of a network of people. That network may include relatives, friends, fellow students, lecturers, your sports club or theatrical group, (former) board members, people you know through volunteering, colleagues past and present, fellow alumni, etc. Also think about your followers on social media.

These people can may be able to give you information on opportunities in the labor market, a specific job opportunity or an interesting field of work or position. Or they might know people who would be interesting to talk to. The people that know the people you know are often the most relevant. You talk to people who share an interest in a topic with you.

An informal conversation

Below you can find a number of questions you can use when having an informal conversation. In particular, use them to prepare the conversation and focus on matters that are important to you. Also prepare what you want to tell about yourself and what you are curious about.

Networking Via LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a database of professionals, organizations, groups and vacancies. You can create your own profile, so you can search in this database and be found yourself. It is also your online resume and business card. You can use LinkedIn to orient the job market, create connections with people you already know or want to get to know, follow organizations, sign up for group around a certain topic and post messages on your wall just like Facebook, so people in your network can read this.

LinkedIn offers useful ways to network with alumni of your study programme. Watch the video below (it's only available in Dutch unfortunately) for an explanation.

Useful tips 

• Networking: the power lies in the connections of your connections. Networking via LinkedIn creates a snowball effect, so connect with as many people as possible.
• Orientation: you do this by not only looking at vacancies, but especially also at the profiles of other people with the same (study) background as you. This is a richer source of information about the labor market than job vacancies alone.
• Profiling: create a professional headline for yourself. This is not a job title but a short description in which you highlight your professional self and your ambitions. So not: Political Science student, but: Starting Political Scientist with a background in media and an interest in the NGO sector.
• Profile picture: add a profile picture. A photo on your profile makes the chance that you will receive a personal message 36 times greater than without a picture.
• Personal URL: make your LinkedIn-url personal by adjusting it under ‘Contact and Personal Info’. Doing this will put you higher in the search results. You can also add this link to your resume.
• Language: you can create your LinkedIn profile in Dutch and in English. Depending on your preferred work area, you choose 1 of the 2 languages.

Workshops

Do you want to learn how to find work through your network? Then participate in the Networking or LinkedIn workshop. Do you first want to discover your profile before you start talking to others? Then the workshop ‘Discover what you want in your job’ might be interesting. Register for these workshops via Uva CorsizioExternal link. In this portal you will find all training courses, workshops, information sessions, groups and sessions of Student Services.