I need to build my network
Build professional relationships through real conversations and small acts of generosity, not self-promotion.
In short
Start here, today. Think of one person whose work you've read or heard recently. Send them a short, specific note about something in it you found useful, with no request attached. This takes about 15 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
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Start with the people you already know
Your network already includes your cohort, students a few years ahead, your committee, former classmates and colleagues from earlier jobs. Stay in touch with them. Over a career, these are the people who become reviewers, collaborators and the ones who forward you a job advert.
Use conferences for conversations
Before a conference, look through the schedule and pick a few people you'd like to meet. Go to their talks and ask a question, or introduce yourself afterwards with one sentence about what interested you in their work. Poster sessions, small panels and coffee queues are often easier than big receptions.
Follow up within a week
Send a short note after meeting someone: where you met, what you talked about, and anything you promised, like a paper you mentioned. If you're expecting a reply, add it to your Waiting-For list. Many people never follow up, so a thoughtful note is remembered.
Keep a short professional profile
Have a current university page, LinkedIn profile or simple personal site with a photo, a two or three sentence description of your research and a way to contact you. Keep the description consistent across them so people can find and recognise you after meeting you.
Ask for informational interviews
When you want to learn about a career, a lab or an organisation, ask someone for 20 minutes. Prepare a few questions, keep to time and thank them afterwards. At the end, ask whether there's anyone else they think you should talk to.
Give before you ask
Share a useful paper, suggest someone for a panel, introduce two people who should meet, offer careful comments on a draft. Small exchanges like these are what a network is made of, and they're much more comfortable than asking for things.
Do it in a way that suits you
If you're introverted, you don't have to work the room. One-to-one coffees, online communities, writing a blog, organising a reading group or volunteering at a conference all build relationships with less noise. It's fine to leave an event once you've had one or two good conversations.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- The word “networking” makes you want to stay home.
- At conferences you mostly talk to people you already know.
- You meet interesting people and never follow up.
- When you need advice or a reference, you can't think of anyone to ask.
Why this happens
Networking has a bad reputation because it's often described as selling yourself. In practice, a professional network is simply people who know you and your work a little, and whom you know a little in return. It grows through ordinary conversations, shared interests and being useful to each other over time.
Many PhD students wait until they need something, such as a job, a postdoc or a collaborator, and then feel awkward writing to strangers. Relationships built slowly, before you need them, are easier and more genuine. You also have more to offer than you might think: a paper you've just read, a method you know well, a careful question, an extra pair of hands for a workshop.
Worth a look (3)
- Versatile PhDA place to read how PhDs in many careers got there, and to find people to talk to.
- THEunijobsUniversity jobs around the world from Times Higher Education, including academic, research and professional roles, which you can filter by country and field.
- UN Young Professionals ProgrammeAn entrance exam that can lead to a first professional job at the UN, for young graduates from countries on that year's participating list. Exam subjects and countries change every year.
More on careers in and beyond academia in the resource library
When to bring someone in
Your career centre and alumni office can introduce you to graduates in particular fields. Your supervisor and committee members can introduce you to colleagues at conferences, but usually only if you ask. If social situations bring on anxiety that goes well beyond ordinary nerves, the counselling service can help.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify