Networking Like a Pro

3 Fundamental Steps to Networking — even if you are Still in College

Building your network is one of the most common career advice college students hear. However, although this general advice is common, very few people show how to actually do it. With that in mind, I put together three simple steps you can begin today to start meeting some of the world’s most awesome people.

Applying this method, I was able to connect with fascinating people, including Fortune 500 executives, a Nobel laureate, Harvard scientists and startup entrepreneurs. Of course, I still have a ton to learn, and was only able to meet so many cool people because of amazing, generous, and enormous help I had along the way. But having a method has been useful to me, and I hope it will be useful to you also.

Networking was a real necessity to me. I arrived in the U.S. a couple years ago barely speaking English fluently, and knowing zero people here. Although it took me a while to learn how to navigate the new social scene and make friends, establishing professional connections was a whole new beast. To learn how to do it, I turned to different professionals, and more recently to Dale Stephens, author of the book “Hacking Your Education,” and founder of the brilliant Uncollege.org. Blending different expert’s advice with a bit of my own experience, here are 3 of my favorite steps.

Email and ask one single question — the first baby step

Here is a truth we are not always aware of: most professionals, even the star-level ones, would love to help and talk to you. All it takes is making the first move, and being mindful of their time. That is why emailing to ask a single question is our first step. The best way to do this is to identify five professionals you would like ask for advice, including start-level ones, and email them a short message. Here is a suggested order structure for their email: how you found them, why you would love to hear from them, and who you are. To increase the odds of an answer, mention something you have in common, such as a potential shared Alma Mater or loving the same movie. That is it. For the vast majority of the time, they will be happy to advise a college student like you and me, just starting out.

Take people to coffee — establishing stronger connections

Although email contact is a great start, real-life connections are even better. Drinking coffee has always been a social event, full of friendship and camaraderie, and we will use it. Make a list about some people you would like to meet and talk with. A suggestion here is finding folks who work in an industry you would like to work at, and write then an email asking if you could meet for coffee to talk about career advice for that specific field. The email structure is similar to the email you sent before, just that you are asking them out for coffee, rather than asking a single question. Everyone likes coffee, and more often than not they will accept, if they have the time.

Closing the cycle — it is all about gratefulness and genuine connections

This is, more than a specific step, a general approach to networking. Be genuine with the folks you are reaching out to. Thank the people who helped you. Follow up with them on how their advice aided you on landing a sweet internship. Help them when they need you. Networking is not about being sleazy or collecting business cards. If we think about people as just a means to an end, they will feel the same about us. Networking is always about relationships, never about transactions.

In his new book, Dale Stephens has put together a solid guide on how to take charge of your education and career, on top of all the advice on networking. If you are interested in taking full control of your learning experience, rather than letting someone else decide for you, I recommend checking out Stephens’ new book “Hacking Your Education.” I received an advanced copy and left with a truck load of new ideas which are already bearing fruit.

I understand sometimes it is hard to first write the emails to reach out to people. I know the pain really well, and I want to help to get you started. So, if you want exact scripts and wording I use for these steps shoot me an email and I will be happy to share with you. On top of that, I will send over to you one more method, time consuming but, by far, the most effective.

In addition, I know that the advice “build your network” is a huge cliché. But a truth we don’t realize often is that clichés became clichés for a reason. Working on expanding your network is worth the time. It gets easier with practice, and soon enough you will thank yourself for it. It has been working for me. And if it works for a foreigner with a weird beard and a funny accent, it will work for you, too.

• Arnobio Morelix is a social entrepreneur at PESSOA Institute

*This story was first published at the UDK