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Top 10 Networking Tips for College Students

At its core, networking is simply building and maintaining relationships. You probably networked
quite a bit when you first arrived at UT Austin through freshman orientation, tabling on Gregory Plaza, or First-Year Interest Groups. These early connections form the basis of your network here on the Forty Acres, and the same idea can be applied to your future career.

The sooner you start making industry connections, the better. You’ll learn about new companies in your field, discover roles and titles that exist for your creative skill set, and maybe even meet a mentor. It’s never too early to start networking and building your connections. We put together this list of networking tips to help you get started on the right path.

Top 10 Networking Tips for College Students in 2023

  1. Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset.
  2. Connect through LinkedIn.
  3. Embrace the power of social media.
  4. Join student and professional organizations.
  5. Attend networking events.
  6. Ask someone you admire professionally to coffee.
  7. Embrace collaborative projects.
  8. Seek out portfolio critiques… regularly.
  9. Land your first internship.
  10. Keep it up.

1. Adopt an Entrepreneurial Mindset.

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) describes the “Entrepreneurial Mindset” as a frame of mind that equips you to “recognize opportunity, take initiative, and innovate in the face of challenges.” This is the more intangible side of networking, but it is still critical. As you begin to build your network, ask yourself: Am I self-reliant, flexible, and adaptable? Am I comfortable with ambiguity and risk? Can I collaborate well with others and think critically? If these things do not come naturally to you, never fear! There are many resources available to help you improve your soft skills. Potential employers are just as interested in the way you work as the work you do itself.

Featured Link: Blackstone LaunchPad’s Project Forward

2. Connect through LinkedIn.

Joining LinkedIn is one of the easiest steps you can take to build your professional network. Connect with peers, professors, and key players in your chosen industry, even those you don’t yet know in real life. Dedicating time each week to post content, engage with your connections, and keep up with industry trends can do wonders — and may even land you your next job.

Featured Link: 21+ Essential LinkedIn Profile Tips For Job-Seekers [For 2022]

3. Embrace the power of social media.

While LinkedIn is a dedicated social platform for networking, the same idea can be applied across all social media (after all, it is called social media for a reason!) Utilizing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Twitch, Discord and others can help you build your network across the internet. The key to social media is authenticity, engagement, consistency, and patience. Slow and steady builds the network.

Featured Link: 8 Top Social Media Platforms for Artists and Designers

4. Join student and professional organizations.

The University of Texas at Austin boasts over 1,100 student organizations and many student chapters of professional organizations. It’s never too early to join, and any experience you gain or leadership positions you hold can be included on your resume. Joining organizations is the quickest way to finding like-minded students on campus who share your interests. Who knows… you may end up meeting a future coworker, supervisor, or business partner!

Featured Link: Browse Student Organizations via HornsLink

AET Design
Student Organizations
Professional Organizations

5. Attend networking events.

The transition to remote work and virtual opportunities in the wake of the pandemic has resulted in greater access to gatherings that were once location-specific or cost prohibitive. Take advantage of this by attending webinars and virtual meet-ups and leveraging these events to build your network. You can find networking events through social media, email newsletters, Facebook Groups, Slack, and more.

Featured Link: An Exhaustive List Of How And Where To Find Networking Events

Where to start your search for networking events in Austin:

6. Ask someone you admire professionally to coffee.

If that sentence scares you, you’re not alone! Thankfully one of the privileges of being a college student is that, more often than not, professionals want to help you. Is there a local leader in your industry that you admire? Are you looking for career advice? Did you connect with someone on LinkedIn who has your dream job? It never hurts to ask that person out for coffee (or a Zoom meeting) for an informational interview. The worst they can say is “no,” and you have everything to gain. (Please note that it is best practice never to ask for a job during an informational interview).

Featured Link: 9 Questions You Have About Coffee Meetings But Were Too Afraid to Ask

7. Embrace collaborative projects.

 

8. Seek out portfolio critiques… regularly.

 

9. Land your first internship.

In today’s world, you can (and should) start applying for internships as early on in your college career as possible. Even if you have little to no work experience, you can bolster your resume with class projects, part-time jobs, and organization involvement. Your earlier (potentially unpaid) internships can help you land your dream internship later. You’ll walk away from every internship experience with a better sense of what you do — and don’t — want to do long-term, as well as professional connections from your time with each company.

So how do you land your first internship? It all starts with a strong resume, cover letter, and portfolio. Industry Relations at the School of Design and Creative Technologies can assist you with all three. 

Featured Link: Set up a one-on-one meeting with Industry Relations Manager Jamil Hooper

10. Keep it up.

Networking is a continuous process and doesn’t happen overnight. Now that you’ve laid the foundation, keep making new connections while maintaining those you already have. Over time, you’ll watch your professional network evolve with each step in your career. The more time you invest in growing your network as a student, the greater return on that investment you’ll see as you launch into your industry after graduation.

Have questions? Reach out to Industry Relations.