Four Ways to Leverage Networking on Campus

By Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster.com

In college, you’re juggling classes, upcoming exams, extracurricular activities, and figuring out post-graduation plans, but there’s an important piece of your undergraduate experience that shouldn’t be overlooked, and that’s networking.

Here’s the thing: as you start writing your resume and visiting the career office on campus, networking is a simple, fun (yes, I said fun) activity to incorporate into your connections. Campus life offers many opportunities to meet people, have meaningful conversations, learn about potential internship opportunities and career paths, and ultimately develop quality relationships that can last long after you earn your diploma. 

According to Monster’s 2026 State of the Graduate Report, 76 percent of respondents are concerned about the economy’s impact on job prospects. That’s all the more reason to ramp up your networking efforts! And further to that point, the majority, 67 percent, said they’d trade pay for job security.

As you prepare to enter the workforce full-time, building valuable connections can help you identify employment opportunities and learn about employers and industries. Here are four ways to network while you’re a student.

Tap into your alumni network

Alumni can be an integral part of your networking strategy. Graduates have already navigated the transition from backpack to briefcase and if you reach out to alums on the board, trustees, and more, they’re already involved with giving back to their alma mater so they may be likely to help you.

You can start by visiting your campus career office to see if there are alumni mentoring programs with students, industry events on campus where alumni participate, and more. Also, search on LinkedIn to identify alumni who work in your field of interest as well as dream employers.

The next step involves reaching out: introduce yourself, immediately mention the alma mater connection, indicate your major, and why you’re reaching out. Ask if they’re available for a call to discuss their career path, latest industry trends or daily responsibilities. The key to networking involves building a professional relationship. You’re not necessarily immediately asking for a job. During the conversation if they mention someone you should connect with as well, extend the networking to be open to introductions to people in their network. Learn from their experiences, ask questions, listen, then follow up with a thank you and maintain contact.  

Build relationships with professors and campus staff

Sure, your professors’ primary purpose is to teach your classes, but many of them have robust industry contacts and relationships with former students who may be valuable connections to you.

Participate in class, attend office hours, and ask thoughtful questions about your desired industry. They’re not mind readers, so be specific in asking them during one-on-one conversations if they know anyone you should speak with. Additionally, ask them questions about their career journey, what courses they think you should pursue and the skills you should develop during a future internship. 

Networking isn’t limited to only asking someone to help open the door to an employer. It’s about building quality relationships over time with professionalism as you gather information and follow through. Eventually, you’ll be in a position on the other end of the conversation to give back, too.

Get involved beyond the classroom

This is pivotal and often overlooked. Whenever I’ve spoken on campus, students have often approached me asking about their network not realizing it’s within reach at all times. If you have a roommate, find out what their parents do for a living and their relatives, too! Got neighbors down the hall in your dorm? Great! They may have viable connections for you to have conversations with, too. You just need to ask.

Student organizations are valuable as well, volunteer opportunities, group projects – they all help you expand your network. Attend guest speaker presentations and introduce yourself to the speakers.  

The more involved you are, the more opportunities to meet students with similar interests, connect with faculty, and interact with guests on campus. You never know where a conversation might lead. 

And this is why I mentioned earlier that networking can actually be fun! You may network in ways you didn’t even realize could happen, like happily connecting over a shared hobby, professional sports team or vacation spot. Those connections can help solidify professional relationships, too. 

Follow up and nurture your connections

Networking isn’t a numbers game; it’s about quality over quantity. Part of that quality means having meaningful conversations that aren’t one-and-done. For instance, let’s say you meet an employer at a job fair and have an engaging conversation. Follow up with an email and ask if they have time for a phone call or coffee.

In another example, if an alumni responds to your email and you have a great conversation, send them a quick email to say thank you. Connect on LinkedIn and start commenting and/or liking their posts, reach out from time to time to check in and say hello. Networking isn’t only about reaching out when you need something like a job or information.

Keep your connections warm and be responsive. If a new contact makes an introduction to a new person, circle back afterwards to thank them and let them know how it went. 

Ultimately, networking is a two-way street. It’s important to be respectful of their time and create opportunities for yourself to make valuable connections that are authentic and blossom over time. By building the networking muscle while you’re on campus, you can gain knowledge, build relationship skills, discover potential opportunities, and hopefully feel more prepared to navigate your career after you graduate. Enjoy the journey–you never know where a new connection may lead!