Networking

What is Networking? 

Networking is about building relationships that help you learn more about yourself, your options and the world of work.

It’s not just about asking for a job or “knowing the right people”. At its core, it’s about having conversations – being curious about what others do, how they got there and what you can learn from them.

Networking can help you develop your knowledge of a particular area (for example, your commercial awareness), and can lead to insight into work opportunities. Not all jobs are  formally advertised, so opportunities can come through employers hiring people they’ve already interacted with at events, through conversations, or via speculative applications.

A lot of the time, networking is already happening in ways you might not recognise. You don’t need to be naturally confident or outgoing to do it effectively.

What can Networking look like?

Networking can happen in lots of different contexts, and you might already be doing it without realising. For example:

• A Queen Mary student is working as a student ambassador at a careers fair and speaks to someone at the Hays Recruitment stand. They have a natural conversation about Queen Mary and Hays, and the employer is impressed by how approachable the student is. They offer their business card and invite the student to get in touch for recruitment advice.
• A student attends a careers talk on jobs in finance and stays behind to speak to a panel member. They ask what the person enjoys most about their role and learn about the problem-solving side of the job, and how it links to technical skills from their degree. They leave feeling more confident about how their degree connects to future roles, which helps when writing applications and preparing for interviews.
• After a politics lecture, one student asks another if they’ve had any luck finding work experience. The other student shares that they secured a micro internship through the Careers service. The first student hadn’t realised these opportunities existed and now has a new place to start.
• A pharmacology student is interested in becoming a clinical scientist but is struggling to find advertised lab experience. They research labs online and send tailored emails explaining their interest and the skills they can offer. After reaching out to multiple labs, one replies and offers short-term work experience.

What links all these examples is asking questions, starting conversations and being proactive.

Why is it important? 

Networking helps you move from guessing to understanding. Instead of relying only on job descriptions, you hear directly from people doing the role or working in the industry.

This can help you:

• Understand what different jobs involve.
• See how your degree or experience might be relevant.
• Feel more confident in applications and interviews.
• Discover opportunities that aren’t always advertised.

How can you network?

You could:

• Ask a question at the end of a talk or lecture.
• Start a conversation at a careers event.
• Follow up with someone on LinkedIn with a short message.
• Talk to other students about their experiences.
• Think about friends, family, or colleagues and whether there’s something you could learn from them.
• Reach out to organisations to ask about work experience or insight.
• Join a professional network as a student member and get involved in events or committees.

When should you network? 

Networking can start at any point in your career journey. You might begin early in your degree, or later when you’re thinking more seriously about your next steps.

Starting earlier can give you more time to explore but it’s never too late to begin.

Resources