Odds are, you already have a strong network - even if you don't realize it. Formal, and informal, networks exists everywhere (from your dorm, to your major, to your team/club/org, to your research lab/internship/summer job).

Additionally, we have 6 interest-based groups that can help you connect with UVM alums, staff, and peers who share your interests. These groupings (listed on the left) can help you sort through the noise to find relevant people, opportunities, and resources.  Don't feel like you need to limit yourself to one grouping; most people of interests that span 2 or more. Not sure where to begin, our Interest Group Matchmaker (a fun little quiz) can help you rank your interests to identify potential starting points.

A few reminders...

Wherever, whenever you are networking remember the aim to build relationships, not gain positions. Follow these basics, and you can't go wrong:

• be YOURSELF: you are interesting, share your interests, values, goals, questions...
• be CURIOUS: ask about their passions and projects, and listen (carefully)
• be ENGAGING: look for points of connection & build on those 
• be POLITE: respect their time, send thank you notes, follow up on LinkedIn

A few tried & true questions to start or continue the conversation: 

• Do you like what you do?  Tell me about a typical day...
• Tell me about an interesting project you're working on.
• How'd you land in this role / What experiences led you here?
• Any advice for someone interested in a similar career?

Members of the Arts, Media & Communication (AMC) Interest Group are interested in careers centered on creative expression, media, communications, and design. They are skilled communicators - written, verbally, or visually- and value artistic expression and creativity.  They have wide interests including film, journalism, museum studies, photography, graphic design, entertainment, theater, communications, and the visual arts...

To explore careers in arts, media, and communications:

1. Follow the AMC Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the AMC Group on UVM Connect 
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global.  Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the AMC Group to connect with fellow makers, dreamers, and doers who are ready, willing, and able to help.  
    
3. Check out the AMC Resource Page 
   For a robust list of industry-specific resources and guides.

Follow the AMC Collection

Members of the Business & Entrepreneurship (BizE) Interest Group are interested in finance, accounting, sales, real estate, economics, and human resources. They value innovation, relationship-building, and bringing their ideas to life in the corporate world. Many are eager to build their own business or support a company in building theirs.

To explore careers business and entrepreneurship:

1. Follow the BizE Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the BizE Group on UVM Connect
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global.  Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the BizE Group to network with fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders, and analytical thinkers. 

Follow the BizE Collection

Members of the Education, Policy & Social Impact (EPSI) Interest Group are interested in teaching, policy work, public service, and non-profit management. They value caring for others, advocacy work, and solving societal issues. 

To explore careers in education, policy, and other fields with a positive social impact:

1. Follow the EPSI Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the EPSI Group on UVM Connect
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global. Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the EPSI Group to connect with educators, government officials, social workers, and change-makers who share a commitment to helping others and are ready, willing, and able to help you.  

Follow the EPSI Collection

Members of the Food, Environment, & Sustainability (FES) Interest Group are interested in agriculture, ecology, transportation, forestry, veterinary sciences, environmental engineering, nutrition, and environmental policy. They value stewardship, community development, sustainable food systems, and creating innovative solutions to address the complex problems faced by our society. 

To explore careers in the fields of food, environment, and sustainability:

1. Follow the FES Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the FES Group on UVM Connect
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global. Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the FES Group to discover others who are eager to engage in sustainable work that improves our built and natural world, and who are ready, willing, and able to help you.  

Follow the FES Collection

Members of the Health Professions Interest Group (HPIG) plan to pursue a range of careers in healthcare, including public health, medicine, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy, optometry, anesthesiology, occupational therapy, podiatric medicine, physician assistant, integrative health careers, genetic counseling, biomedical research, mental health, and more.  They are passionate about being of service to others, fascinated by the human body and motivated to learn the science underlying health, disease and therapeutic modalities. 

 To explore the vast array of careers in the health professions:

1. Follow the HPIG Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the HPIG Group on UVM Connect
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global. Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the HPIG Group to connect with alums who share an interest in the health professions and are ready, willing, and able to help you.  
    
3. Visit the Pre-Med website
   If you're looking for more information on pursuing a clinical pathway. 

Follow the HPIG Collection

Members of the STEM Interest Group are interested in the sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics, data systems, and programming. They value systems-thinking and attention to detail, and leverage technology to meet the needs of our ever-changing society. They enjoy figuring out how things work and dreaming up creative solutions to complex problems.

To explore the vast array of careers in the health professions:

1. Follow the STEM Collection in Handshake
   Collections are simple, refined, and effective. Pre-filtered lists help you cut through the noise and find what you're looking for.  Relevant jobs, events, & career tips will appear in your Handshake feed.  BONUS: Turn on a job alert to be the first to know when new opportunities go live.
    
2. Join the STEM Group on UVM Connect
   UVM Connect provides you direct access to a rich network of alums doing great work across the global. Joining the platform is free and easy, once in make your way to the STEM Group to connect with alums who are share your curiosity and analytical approach to thinking about our world and are ready, willing, and able to help you.  

Follow the STEM Collection

Join at many Career Interest Groups as you want.

There is no obligation and you can leave anytime!  To join multiple groups, select your first Career Interest Group when you activate your account and log in the first time; join additional groups (as many as you like) using the left navigation. 

Remember that the folks here have already raised their hands to help.

Search the directory for alums with interest jobs, who share an identity, live in an area of interest, or had the same major, etc... and then click on those with a "Willing to Help" banner to see exactly how they're offering to help.  Some will let your shadow them for a day at work, others are happy to meet for coffee, or offer resume feedback.

Explore possible paths for yourself by seeing other people's journeys.

Find someone with a job that sounds interesting and see what they studied, where they interned, or how they got started.  You might even reach out to see if they have advise to offer... (Alums love talking about themselves - I'm mean really, don't we all?!)

Ask for and use leads. 

Ask the folks you're connecting with who else you should be connecting with - if they say, "Oh, you should talk to so & so" be sure to reach out to [so & so] and tell them who recommend them.  In this way, networking can help you discover new opportunities, expand your job search, or simply connect with cool new people who hold common interests and passions. (See below for more on informational interviews)

Networking is the process of gathering and exchanging information with individuals to help focus your career planning. When you network, you are intentionally developing relationships that can help you gain a greater understanding of an industry, career path, or company. While networking is not a readily available source of jobs, the relationships you develop may lead you to a connection that becomes a future job or internship.

See the video discussion on Candid Career

Below, you'll find a series of tools that will help you connect with UVM alums and prospective employers. Remember, you can always come by the Career Center for help practicing your networking pitch!

• UVM Connect is an exclusive network for UVM alums and students, this tool connects you with alums working all over the country. From the directory, you can search and reach out to alums who have offered to provide career support in various ways -- such as meeting in person, offering to shadow, sharing industry expertise.
   
• LinkedIn – Alumni Insights Tool allows you to research and reach out to the roughly 75,000 alums on the platform. Search alums by industry, region, and keyword. If you are just getting started on LinkedIn, joining UVM groups on LinkedIn will help you to grow your UVM network.
• Not sure how to reach out to alums or other professional contacts? Check out these Sample Communications using UVM Connect and LinkedIn.

Info about networking online

A job shadow is a great way to get exposed to what a career is really like while making some useful connections. 

We have resources to help you find a job shadow and get the most out of it. 

Job shadowing

An informational interview is a structured process of networking where you reach out to professionals to learn about career field and gain insights into your job search. You identify people in fields of interest, ask if they’d be willing to talk or meet with you, and arrange a time in which you interview them about their career. You should develop and ask most of the questions. 

Here are some steps to get started: 

• Know your purpose. Think about what you are hoping to get out of the meetings.
• Identify contacts in your field of interest. Start with your existing network -- friends, family, friends’ siblings and parents, and current and former colleagues. Alums are an invaluable resource; check out UVM Connect and LinkedIn to identify potential contants.
• You have limited time, so plan your questions well. Prepare 5-10 questions to ask. Check out these Sample Networking and Informational Interviewing Questions.
• Be sure to follow up with a thank you message. Don't be shy about keeping in touch afterward.