The 7 biggest networking mistakes college students make

For better or worse, networking — or the process of forming relationships with people to help grow your career — is crucial in today’s job market. In a 2020 LinkedIn survey, 73 percent of participants reported that they had been hired in the past as a result of a connection or referral.

Networking comes more naturally to some than others. Social butterflies or those with well-connected friends and family undeniably have an advantage. For people who are naturally shy or don’t know many people in their field, making and nurturing professional connections can feel really intimidating.

Related: How to use your alumni database to make real-world connections

Fortunately, no matter your circumstances, networking skills are something that any job seeker can develop and hone — but beware. There are a number of things that can trip up a newbie when building a professional network. Here are seven common mistakes to avoid.

1. Underestimating the value of networking

If you’ve started thinking about networking, you’re already off to a good start. Many college students don’t even consider the importance of networking until they’re well into the job search. The truth is that college, with its wealth of resources (that — don’t forget — you’re paying for) is the perfect time to start building your network.

But don’t psych yourself out wondering “Why would they want to bother with me?” says Emily Carrion, a marketing executive and networking expert who believes networking meetings can actually be mutually beneficial for both parties.

“I was shocked again and again how many times people said, ‘yes’ and how happy they were to meet with me,” says Carrion. “Now that I’m on the other side, I love talking to young people because I’m not on the pulse anymore! I want to know: What platforms are you using? How do you consume media?”

“[When starting out], I always thought I was just going to milk the other person for information,” Carrion says. “But so often I’d find that I had a lot to offer to them, too.”

2. Overlooking current connections

Keep in mind that networking isn’t all cold emailing to CEOs. Some of the most valuable networking you’ll do is probably already underway.

”The most effective seeds you can plant for yourself are the seeds you plant early on,” says Gorick Ng, Harvard career coach and author of The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right“Looking back, the most valuable professional relationships I made in college were with peers, and students a few years older than me. Those are the same people who, in [several] years’ time, will be reviewing applications or in a position to give you a reference or a job.” In five or 10 years, he adds, they’ll be leading companies.

Related: How to build a LinkedIn profile if you’ve never had a job

These existing relationships can pave your career path, so — starting now — make sure you’re putting yourself in situations where you can meet like-minded people who share your interests.

3. Sending an impersonal email

When reaching out to a potential “networkee,” your email should communicate that you are familiar with that person’s work or specific career path. Boilerplate-type emails can be spotted from miles away (and are prone to errors like forgetting to change the addressee’s name before hitting “send”).

Don’t count on a response, says Ng, “if it looks like it could have been copied and pasted to a dozen people.”

Instead, be “specific and succinct” about why you want to meet the person and what you want to talk about, says Carrion, who notes that flattery never hurts.

She offers this as a potential template: “Hey, I found you through [blank], and I think you’re awesome for [blank] reasons. Here’s a smidge about me: I’m a senior at [blank] college and I’m looking to break into this field. Is there any chance you’d talk to me about [blank]?’”

“The more specific you are, the more that tells me that you’ve done some homework, are genuinely interested and will come prepared,” she adds.

Today, when job seekers reach out to Carrion, she asks them to send over the questions they have for her, so including a couple of questions in your original correspondence (while remaining conscientious of the length of the note) is solid extra credit.

4. Failing to follow up

“If you don’t hear back within a week or two to a request, send a follow-up,” says Ng. “There are a host of reasons why someone didn’t respond — and only one is because the recipient of your email isn’t interested.

Don’t miss out on a great connection because you’re scared to seem overeager or bothersome. That said, Ng cautions that no follow-up is better than spamming the person every couple of days, or — God forbid — sending “nothing more than ‘bump’ rather than a more respectful note.”

If you do hear back, respond quickly, so that your connection can get the meeting squared away and move on. (Yes, networking meetings can be mutually beneficial, but ultimately, they’re doing you a favor!)

5. Asking the wrong questions

Do your homework before the meeting so you don’t waste time asking anything that could have been answered by your friend Google.

It’s okay to ask someone about their career history or past jobs, but focus on asking “why” and “how” questions (e.g., Why do you prefer client-facing over internal roles? How did you know it was time to leave your first job out of college?) that build on your knowledge and generate conversation.

Related: Use these 4 tips to craft the perfect elevator pitch

But, ultimately, says Ng, picking someone’s brain is all about getting their expertise and opinions.

“Good questions are subjective [ones],” he says. “Questions that prompt the other person to think will lead to a more personal conversation.” In other words, you’re here to build a relationship, not get a how-to.

Carrion likes to ask people to reflect on the choices and mistakes they’ve made in their careers and how they’ve achieved certain milestones.

Some of her favorite questions include:

• What’s something you would have done differently in your career if you could go back?

• What was the one thing that really set you up for success?

• What did you want to achieve in your first 90 days in this role?

“You’re trying to reverse engineer someone’s career,” she says. “What did they do to get where they are?”

6. Fumbling the logistics

Details like this really matter. You want to be respectful of someone’s time and build good faith. (Plus, you never know. This person might want to hire you someday — but not if you’re late.)

Send a calendar invite that includes the date, time and phone number or Zoom link, or specific details about the place to meet. Double-check the invite and make sure the appointment is in the correct time zone and you’ve included all the details.

7. Punting on the thank-you email

This is key. A day or so after you meet someone, send a specific, personal and genuine follow-up email, thanking your contact for their time and insights. A networking encounter might be a one-off, or it could be the start of a career-long relationship.

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