Contact us










Networking

Teachers Alums Anyone

Why it matters

WHAT IS NETWORKING, the man screamed. The conference hall was silent: nobody really, actually knew.

Networking is how you meet people who might hire you, vouch for you, or introduce you to someone who will. It sounds like name tags. Really it's just talking to people and getting better at it. You'll end up in cool careers by meeting hundreds of cool people and making a good impression.

Start with your teachers, the first adults who can vouch for you. They write recommendation letters, hear about summer jobs, and can put in a word with the principal when you want to change something. Then widen the circle: counselors, coaches, the librarian, PTA parents, alumni who come back to visit.

Talk about your networking skills in your resume

Student Advocate Sept. 2023 - Present

  • Recruited alumni and parents to speak at the school's first student-run career day, including a nurse who later hosted three students for job shadows at her clinic.

Doorstop Fellow Sept. 2023 - Present

  • Cold-emailed local engineers and architects about summer work, turned six replies into informational chats, and landed a two-week internship at a civil engineering firm.

Build stronger networking skills

  • Talk to one new adult a week. Pick someone at school you don't usually talk to and ask a real question: "How did you end up teaching chemistry?"

  • Stay after class for two minutes. Ask about something the teacher mentioned. Short, regular conversations add up.

  • Ask for introductions. "Do you know anyone working in architecture?" is a small ask most adults are happy to answer.

  • Find the alumni. Search LinkedIn for your high school's name plus a job you're curious about, or ask a teacher who's been there 15 years. They remember everyone. Then send them a cold email.

  • Follow up with an update. "You told me to try Model UN. I joined, and we're going to the state conference in March!" Updates turn a contact into someone who vouches for you.

  • Keep a list. Names, what you talked about, and when, so three months later you can ask, "How'd the robotics season end?"

The best thing a network can give you is a mentor: someone who has done what you want to do. Here's how to find one.