Networking consists of individuals adopting a strategic approach to developing and maintaining relationships that will support their personal, professional or career goals.  In other words, networking is not just important in terms of you finding work and being successful in a career (although it can be very influential on your success in both of these areas) but is also important to you, as a person, and your ability to be successful in life.  In terms of job seeking, talking to people in the industry can give you an insight into the realities of the role and help you decide whether it will suit your skillset and personality.

First of all, find your focus, for example, if your networking motivation is around finding work and developing your career then consider carefully what kind of career you are interested in – to give you some help with this, read our Career Planning section.  This should help you to think about why you are networking and what you need to be speaking to your contacts about, rather than you just socialising and coming away with no tangible benefit.  When you meet with potentially useful contacts therefore, you need to consider carefully what you are expecting to gain from the meeting, look further down this page for a list of possible questions you might ask.

Next, you need to follow these 10 top tips to networking, and after that, start networking!

Tip 1 List your existing network of contacts – family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, lecturers, employers etc. Can they help you?  Or do they know someone else who may be able to?

Tip 2 Research your contacts, find out about their role and their company before you meet with them.

Tip 3 Ensure you have as many people as possible tuned into your agenda, thinking about the people they are meeting and how they can help you.

Tip 4Keep in touch with changes in your field of interest by scanning journals, trade magazines, newsletters and the web.  When you meet people in the industry you will be able to speak intelligently about new developments etc.

Find out why it's important to do your research in our Researching jobs, sectors and employers section.

Tip 5 Join a professional association, these are a full of potential contacts in your field.

Tip 6 Draw up a list of organisations you would like to target, for more information on resources to help you do this. See the Jobs and work experience page and Researching jobs, sectors and employers section page for potential contacts

Tip 7When approaching companies speculatively, always try and send your CV to a named person, this will immediately ensure that your application is considered and not dumped on a pile in HR.  In addition, you could make sure that you are remembered by telephoning to check that they received your application and, if no job offers are forthcoming, ask if you could meet for feedback. 

Look at our Application Process section for more advice on speculative approaches.

Tip 8 Offer yourself for voluntary work or work shadowing, to get your foot inside an organisation, develop your role research, and build your network of contacts.

Tip 9 Scan the local papers, keep an eye on which companies are expanding/recruiting/undertaking new developments – in other words develop your commercial awareness.

Tip 10 Most importantly – keep in touch!  Don’t let new contacts fester, keep the communication lines open by getting in touch every couple of months, you have nothing to lose and, potentially, much to gain.

List of possible questions you might want to ask

How did you get started in this field?

What is your role in this organisation?

What do you find most rewarding about your career?

How are graduates recruited into this company?

What skills are most important for advancement?

What experience is required?

What is a typical day like for you?

What are your working hours like?

See the Social network your way to a job page for advice on how you can use online social / professional networks to build your professional contacts, potential employer contacts and perhaps get yourself a job.