Advice for engineering students: Growing and building a professional network

If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. So goes the proverb. This for me sums up the importance of networking. In an interconnected world where learning new skills to remain relevant in the workplace is vital, building and nurturing an effective network is the differentiator that will bring long-term success.

But why is your network so important? In my own career I have worked for 10 organisations and had many more job titles, but I only made one job application that was not a referral from my network. The first one. The people you know now in junior positions, are, like you, the future industry leaders. In short, your network along with your technical and soft skills are your recipe for continual employment and career progression. It’s the secret sauce.

Outside of your career journey, your network will act as a route to market for your outputs, whatever they may be, but also your support network of suppliers, trusted advisers and mentors. The majority of my own paradigm shifting ideas have come as a result of spending time with my network, who see the world in different ways.

The most successful networkers I know are the ones who have made networking a habit. The author James Clear wrote a superb book, “Atomic Habits”, that I would highly recommend on the subject of habits, a huge part of what he talks about is just turning up. This is true of networking. Want to run a marathon? Start by making the commitment to do nothing more than put your running shoes on each day. Want to build a network? Form easy to maintain, networking habits.

So practically, what can you do to build your network?

Broadly speaking, networking can be broken down into the physical and the digital world. It’s fair to say they are now interdependent. In the digital space, LinkedIn is the king of networking apps and is a must have tool. Millennials, Gen-Z and now Gen-Alpha have all grown-up with social media and are comfortable with its navigation, but this has come at the cost of the physical. People are more reluctant to try and make new connections in social settings, such as a conference, or launch event. The best advice I can give here comes from my wife: “no one knows you’re scared, but you!”. Feel the fear and do it anyway! People will be grateful you did what they wanted to.

Setting clear goals of what you want from your networking will help focus your efforts, and preparing your personal “elevator pitch” - that is part personal introduction, part resume and part invitation to respond - will help open conversations or make introductions more successful. If there is one thing my own networking has taught me, it is that people find those who are interested in them the most interesting. When meeting in the physical world, ensuring you have the ability to follow up is vital - this is where your LinkedIn comes in. Business cards are less common than they once were, but tapping the search bar on the LinkedIn app will bring up a QR icon that when pressed gives a digital card you can scan or have scanned, making your digital link immediate. 

Many events will also provide a delegate list, some of whom you may not have met in person. Don’t be afraid to reach out to those you didn’t meet directly, express regret you didn’t meet in person, highlight a quality you admire, or a shared passion and invite them to connect digitally. Practice these techniques in environments you already feel comfortable. Family gatherings seen through the networkers eye can be just as productive as any conference.

There are of course now a great number of digital events, round tables and webinars. Consider registering on platforms such as “Eventbrite” in areas of interest to you. While some are in-person, many are online and a large proportion are free. Make a note of delegates you see who are of interest and reach out. Make reaching out to you easy also, such as by adding your LinkedIn address in the chat. What’s the worst that can happen?

Membership organisations can also be a fast-track to building a network. While it’s true some are better than others, you always get out what you put in. Sign-up for events, get involved in the community, reach out to other members. As a Fellow of The Royal Society of the Arts (RSA), I would recommend them. Like others, the RSA has a superb community portal that can help facilitate your goals.

Finally, don’t neglect your network, or take it for granted. Nurture it. Make time to stay in touch with and reach out to it, make this one of your habits and remember, the asking for, or offering of help, rarely fails to start a positive conversation.

The Student Engineer is a special channel of The Engineer aimed at educating and inspiring engineering undergraduates about the career opportunities in engineering and also offering practical advice on how they can access these opportunities. 

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