Networking

The benefits of networking

Professional networking can enable you to build connections with individuals in the sector or organisations you are interested in.

Your connections can share information and advice that can help you with your career. Some of the benefits of networking include:

• Industry insights. You can gain valuable information about a job or sector from someone who has first hand experience.
• Career opportunities. Your connections can share information about opportunities and offer advice about how to apply.
• Building a professional reputation. Get to know people in your field and build relationships. When people remember your name, they might think of you when opportunities become available.
• Gain skills. Networking can help to develop your confidence and communication skills. You can practice meeting new people and having professional conversations.

In-person networking

There are a range of events that you can attend to network such as recruitment fairs and conferences. There are also specific networking events which may have a sector focus.  

You can also network in the workplace. Meetings and social events can be a good way to build connections within an organisation. 

Online networking

Some professional networking events take place online where you can meet people on a platform such as Zoom or Teams. The event might start with a presentation or talk and then attendees may move into smaller virtual meeting rooms for networking.   

You can also build a professional network online, using social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Tik Tok or Instagram. See our page on using social media for your career for more information. 

Finding events

You can access networking events through the Careers Service. We organise two annual recruitment fairs, in the autumn and spring and we also hold regular Employer Connect sessions throughout the year. Find out more about our events.   

Join professional bodies or industry networks for your sector. You can find lists of professional organisations in the Sector and industry insights section of our Occupational pages.  

Some large employers run career networking events where you can meet employees and find out more about their organisation.  

Local business hubs organise networking events. Examples of business hubs in the North East include The Helix, The Catalyst, and The North East BIC .   

Join a society through NUSU. Societies often run networking events related to a specific field or interest.  

Use platforms such as LinkedIn or Eventbrite and search by industry or location and use keywords such as ‘networking’ or ‘careers’. 

Tips for networking

Determine your objectives. Think about your purpose for attending the event. It might be to find out more about a company or job role, to make connections or to find out about opportunities. 

Research who will be attending the event. Make a list of the people or companies that you are most interested in speaking to. Visit their website and use other resources such as LinkedIn or news websites to find out more about the company. See our researching employers page for more information. 

Plan what you want to ask. This will help you to have more useful conversations on the day. Try not to ask generic questions that can be found on the company website. The questions you ask might depend on your objectives, but some ideas include: 

• The work they do: what does a typical day look like? What are the highlights and challenges? What do they enjoy about their role?  

• The company: what is the culture of the organisation? What is the team structure? What do they enjoy about working with that company? 

• The sector: what are the key topics and trends in the industry at the moment? What are the biggest challenges in the sector at the moment? Are there any skills that are valuable for people entering this field? 

• Recruitment: how often does the company recruit for certain roles? Where would vacancies be advertised? What is the recruitment process?  

• How to make successful applications: what are the key skills that your company value? What makes a candidate stand out? What sort of experience would be valuable? 

Prepare a simple introduction. Start off with your name and degree programme. You could tell them about your skills, experience and career interests as well as what you could offer them.  

Think about first impressions. What you wear might depend on the event you are attending, some events may be more informal than others. In most cases you should wear smart clothes and avoid sportswear, but try to wear clothes that you feel comfortable in.  

Follow up with your connections. After the event, if you have someones contact details, you can reach out with any additional questions or even just to say thank you for their time. Add your connections on LinkedIn and if you post about the event, tag them in your post.  

Using your networking experience for applications

Many graduate employers are looking for graduates who have networking skills. This is because building networks is an important part of some graduate roles. If you have attended a networking event, you could use this as an example at interview.  

If you have spoken with a specific company at an event and you later have an interview with the same employer, you could talk about this during the interview. You could tell them what you learned about the organisation, what impressed you and what made you apply.  For more information see our preparing for interviews section.