There’s just one little problem – most people hate networking. So if the idea of inserting yourself into a busy room full of strangers with essentially no common ground scares the living daylights out of you, you're not alone.

But that, unfortunately, doesn’t make networking any less necessary. Whatever your career path is, making great connections by networking can impact you significantly along your journey. Here’s how to put yourself out there, get networking, and make the most of the connections you make. 

Find an event 

Most universities organise networking opportunities for their students throughout the university year. These events are usually faculty, industry or course-specific and include a mix of students, university staff, university alumni and industry professionals. The whole purpose of these events is to help students connect with industry to gain job placements during or after their degree. Have a chat to your course coordinator or faculty manager about what event opportunities are available for you.

There may also be networking event opportunities outside of your university. These events are often shared through Facebook or LinkedIn Groups. Search on these social platforms by looking for “industry” and “location” in Groups – for example, “marketing professionals Brisbane”.

Before the event: Preparation 

1. Update your LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn is a business-and employment-oriented social networking platform. It is similar to Facebook, but mainly used for professional networking. Make sure yours is up to date and looking sharp – you never know who might stumble across it! 
2. Research the people you are interested in meeting, and conduct research on their bio, work experience, education, recent posts and articles on LinkedIn. 
3. Prepare some questions you may like to ask people during the event. This will help calm nerves as you’ll always be armed with something to get the conversation going. 
4. If it’s an industry-specific event, make sure you do some research to develop a deeper understanding of the industry. 

During the event: Talk and listen 

1. Don't be shy. Everyone is there for the same reason, so don’t hesitate to say hello to people. 
2. If you’re unsure, talk to people who are standing alone – it’s easier to open up a conversation this way. 
3. Introduce yourself. Talk about your studies, your career goals, even your country of origin. Normally people will talk about themselves after you introduce yourself, but if they don’t, you can ask “How about yourself?” or “What do you do for work?” People usually find it easier to talk about themselves than to ask questions. 
4. Be a good listener. Give the person you’re talking to your undivided attention, and use verbal and non-verbal cues to convey that you’re following along.
5. Interact with people and ask questions. If you run out things to talk about, you can discuss the difference between Australia and your home country. This is always a good topic for international students. 
6. Ask questions that inspire conversation. For example, “What do you think the industry will be like in 10 years’ time?” 
7. Ask for their business card and connect with them on LinkedIn after the event. 
8. Work the room. You don’t want to spend the whole night talking with one person, so here are some things you can say to help you move on politely:
9. “Thank you for your sharing. It is really inspiring. Nice to meet you and I hope to catch up with you soon.”
10. "It’s been great talking to you. Thank you very much and see you around.”
11. "I would love to grab a drink to chat further. It was fantastic to meet you, see you around.” 

After the event: Follow up 

Reach out. If you met anyone in particular that seemed like they have relevant experience or connections that could help you in your career, keep that relationship alive.

Send a LinkedIn message or email along the following lines to ask for a catch-up, or to be able to chat further.

Hi ____, 

It was nice meeting you yesterday at ___. Thank you for your sharing on ___, and I am really interested in ___. It would be great if we could have a coffee and catch up so I could learn more from you. I am keen and available to meet you next ___, ___ or ___. Please let me know if you are able to meet. Thank you once again and hope to see you soon. 

Best regards, ____ 

See you at the next networking event!