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Indiana University Bloomington

Network with Professionals & Others

Network? Consistently talk with people, in a professional manner, about your career interests, experiences, and specific goals. Ask them questions about their career and their experiences. Exchange contact information. Stay in touch with them.

Why? To discover great classes, co-curricular activities, research labs, internship experiences, job opportunities, graduate programs, and more. Over 80% of internships and jobs are filled without ever having been posted on online -- networking is crucial to your career development and career success.

With whom should you network?

Informal networking: Talk with other students, professors, friends, family members - anyone! Discuss your career interests and goals at school, at work, while volunteering, participating in student groups or community organizations, working out at the gym, and talking with people at social gatherings.

Network with academic advisors & career counselors: Talk with your academic advisor about your career interests and utilize IU career services: Career Development Center, Health Professions & Prelaw Center, and Kelley Undergraduate Career Services Office.

Network with professionals: Networking with people who are currently employed in a career field in which you are interested is the most important and most challenging networking that college students need to accomplish!

Networking methods:
  • Networking Tips.
  • Networking Letters 101. Learn how to write an opening letter or email that will help reveal hidden opportunities.
  • Cold-Calling. Find professionals to interview about a potential career, internship experiences, more.
  • An elevator speech is a 30-second self-marketing pitch that highlights your accomplishments and goals. Write your elevator speech!

      Prepare Your Elevator Pitch is written from the point of view of someone who is applying for a particular job. You can prepare an elevator speech that you can use to network for the purpose of finding internship experiences, getting into a research lab, or achieving some other short-term career development goal.

      What to include in your pitch:

      • State your name, school, major, and a few accomplishments that are noteworthy enough to appear on your current resume.
      • State one or two of your immediate career-relevant goals: Are you interested in finding a professional you could interview or job shadow? Are you seeking a career-relevant part-time job or internship?

      Check out this brief video for inspiration - an elevator pitch from a law school intern.

  • Informational interviews allow you to quickly gain first-hand knowledge about a job by interviewing a professional who does that job. Click here and here for more information.
  • Mentors can help you develop skills you'll need to succeed. Check out How Mentors Can Help You. How can you find a mentor? Start with informational interviews to find someone who is a good fit for you.
  • Job shadowing is following someone around at work for anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
  • Internship experiences are a terrific networking opportunity - be sure to set up informational interviews with all of the key people at your internship site.
How can you find professionals in a career that interests you?
  • Attend career development events on campus at which you'll get to network with professionals:

  • Volunteer in a career-relevant setting where you'll get to network with professionals.

  • Participate in academic and career-relevant student groups and attend events at which you'll get to network with professionals. Undergrads network with PBS alumni at the annual Psi Chi Alumni Dinner in the photo to the right.

  • Connect with Indiana University Alumni - search the IU Alumni Database and read the PsychNotes Alumni Newsletter to find professionals you can contact.

  • Explore Professional Societies. You can use the association's member directory or locator to find professionals.

  • Search online by occupation. A Google search for "psychotherapists Bloomington" yields contact information for a variety of practitioners; "psychologist Indiana" brings up the Psychology Today Therapy Directory as well as other useful directories.

  • Search online by organization - look for schools, businesses, non-profit organizations, health centers or other organizations that employ the professionals with whom you would like to speak. Look for an online staff listing or call the organization to ask for names and contact information for several professionals.

  • Contact graduate programs. If you are seriously considering attending, a reputable graduate program should be willing to connect you with faculty, successful alumni and current graduate students.

  • Online Professional Networks: LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. If LinkedIn doesn't include your career interest, then you might want to search for a professional networking site that does.

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