Networking - International Students
Nurture professional connections and relationships.
People Hire People
Between 65-85% of all jobs are filled through networking. Networking and building relationships is an essential part of any job search, but can be especially beneficial for international students.
Keep Reading to Learn:
- Why networking is important
- How it can impact your job search
- Broaden your network of people
- How to engage in purposeful informational interviews
Why Networking?
How networking can help your search:
- Gain industry-specific knowledge to hone your experience and skill set
- Learn about organizational culture
- Create relationships with current employees who can help you with applications and referrals
- Your support system will be bigger.
Your Network
Many people think they don't have a network, but you do! You have:
- A personal network (people you already know: friends, family, colleagues, peers, etc.)
- The Tommie Network - we've got 110,000 living alumni, plus faculty and staff.
- Second-degree connections - people you haven't met yet, but might go to the same school as you or be members of groups and clubs you're a part of.
Informational Interviews
Tact and respect are essential to successful networking. You should never reach out to someone asking for a job or internship. Build a relationship before you ask for specific help with your job search.
A great way to begin networking is by reaching out to your network for informational interviews. Through these conversations, you wills how your curiosity and engagement, and your network gets to learn more about you. This is where relationships start.
Next Steps
- Use LinkedIn and St. Thomas Connect to reach out to St. Thomas alumni for career conversations. Find at least two people you'd like to talk to.
- Join groups and follow employers on LinkedIn to expand your network and learn about job or internship opportunities.