Networking for Students

Networking is commonly understood as an important aspect of personal and professional growth. Building relationships with others in the field can lead to new opportunities, skill development, and career advancement. Those in your network can offer advice, share contacts, and serve as mentors–all incredibly powerful assets to have throughout a career. And having opportunities to give back to others in these same ways can add depth and meaning to one’s own professional experience and expertise. 

Though rarely addressed until college and beyond, high school can be an opportune time for students to learn about networking and practice networking skills in a low stakes environment. And connecting with professional contacts early in a student’s career trajectory can offer students additional support and advice as they make decisions during postsecondary learning and once they enter the workforce. 

How can students learn to build a professional network?

At its core, networking involves building dynamic and supportive relationships with career professionals. It can involve both meeting new people and deepening connections with others whom students have met. It includes making a good impression, connecting over common interests, finding ways to share ideas and opportunities, and staying in touch over time.  

As with any new skill development, explicit teaching about who might be a good professional contact and how to network along with opportunities to practice can be beneficial for high schoolers. Students might work on identifying people they have met who would make good contacts along with places they might meet others in their field. They can consider how to introduce themselves, have a conversation that includes their background and interests, and find ways to exchange contact information to stay connected. They might work to organize their thoughts around how they could describe their skills and future plans. While all of these steps can feel awkward, even for adults, opportunities to practice in a safe and comfortable environment can make the real thing feel much less intimidating.  

Opportunities for Students to Practice Networking

As students learn more about who they are and what they want to do after high school, they can begin to practice their networking skills within their school and local community. Students might utilize the following opportunities to build their network: 

• Clubs, Extracurricular Activities, and Community Organizations: Clubs, extracurriculars, and community groups are great ways for students to connect with others who share similar interests. Not only can students share ideas and plans with other students, they can meet local professionals in fields of interest. And, if students see a gap in what clubs or organizations are available that align with their interests, they can create a group. Joining a club, participating within the community, and taking on leadership roles can all work to help students develop a professional network. 

• Work-Based Learning (WBL) Opportunities. WBL experiences are some of the best, real-world opportunities for students to practice networking opportunities. While they participate, encourage them to see if they can accompany professionals to conferences, community events, and other forums where they can watch networking modeled by other professionals. They can also use this time to connect with others in a field of interest, and learn about other groups or organizations that focus on similar types of work. 

• LinkedIn: Following leading organizations and businesses within a field on LinkedIn or other social media is a great way to hear what is happening and stay up-to-date on trends, building a knowledge base for networking conversations. Help students determine major players in fields of interest and look for thought leaders in the space. Encourage them to sign up for newsletters or to regularly check for new information or updates. For students of appropriate age, creating a LinkedIn profile allows them to follow businesses, read posts, monitor job openings, and ask questions. Help students draft emails or updates about their own accomplishments that could be used to connect with other professionals or stay connected in the future.

Opening Doors 

Practicing networking skills in high school will help students develop confidence in their communication with professionals as well as a more refined approach to networking that will serve them well in the future. Someone who is good at connecting with others and can build a strong professional network will have many more doors opened to them, regardless of their chosen field. 

The early steps of network development can also be beneficial to a student’s high school experience. For high schoolers, having contacts in a field of interest can play a pivotal role in shaping future plans. Students who have some professional contacts could have greater access to job shadowing opportunities, leads on internships, or invitations to apply for summer jobs–creating their own work-based learning opportunities. These connections can also provide invaluable mentorship around high school decision making as students are trying to decide which college to attend, what major to select, and how to best use time in college to prepare for a career. Learning how to network–including identifying professional contacts, practicing how to connect, and engaging with professionals during career events, extracurricular activities, and volunteer opportunities–can provide a unique advantage to students both now and in their future career development.  

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