Career contacts and conversations: how to reach out to people and start networking

Posted on 8 July 2022 • Explore, Fairs and events, Networking and social media

Getting inside knowledge by talking to people working in the sector you’re aiming for and connecting with employers – we call it ‘networking’ for short. It’s something everyone is apprehensive about, but most people can find a way that works for them once they give it a go. It can help you achieve your goals in ways you didn’t expect.

Having conversations with employers is something many OU students tell us they want to get better at. Our networking for your career page will tell you how. OU Careers and Employability Consultants Polly and Fiona give their tips for breaking through that barrier and taking your first steps in networking:

1. Find out what networking can do for you

Our Networking podcasts with OU Careers Consultants Chandni, Penny and Jackie help you discover what networking is (and isn’t), why it’s helpful, and how to get ready to go for it.

2. Take your first step

Join one of our regular Networking Woes to Networking Pro live workshops, a safe space to share practical approaches with other OU students, to help you start and develop your network. See our full calendar of careers events on OpportunityHub.

3. Start with who you know

Do this practical activity to help you visualise and map your current network of family, friends and colleagues, and get advice on reaching out to new contacts with the help of social media, events and direct contact.

4. Use LinkedIn to your advantage

Much networking has moved online, so LinkedIn has become more important than ever. Get set up and start using it with our recorded webinar LinkedIn: Basic Features. If you’re already confident on LinkedIn, take it up a level, boost your profile and gather career intelligence with our recorded webinar Linkedin: Advanced Features.

5. Get insider knowledge

Find out more about the career you’re interested in by asking a sector professional for an ‘informational interview’. Most people are happy and willing to spend a little time to answer questions about their work and it’s your chance to ask about what it’s really like to work in a specific job or sector. Read more about how to go about it in What is an informational interview? and Questions to ask at an informational interview. Don’t be put off if your first contact doesn’t reply – life might just be too busy at that moment. The next person could be available to give you just the information you need.

“I would suggest talking to someone who already works in your desired field and attending industry events – you might get a different idea from that than from just studying job boards and adverts.”
Marta, OU Computing & IT student

6. Learn how to build your confidence

You might feel that the people you want to network with won’t want to network with you – this feeling is common and can unfortunately stop people from reaching out. Remember, everyone is human – employers and professionals too. Confidence is a journey we are all on, so learn how to build it with webinars How to grow your confidence and Confidence and planning your future.

7. Listen to how others have done it

Hashi Mohamed, author of ‘People Like Us’, came to the UK as an unaccompanied child refugee and is now a barrister. Listen to Hashi’s podcast on what it takes to overcome challenges and keep up your self-belief, including how to network effectively and grow your confidence. Zeeshan Nazar, Graduate Trainee with BT, has useful advice for any student applying for graduate schemes, but especially for students from ethnic minorities looking for programmes and organisations with inclusive and supportive values and a diverse culture.

Fiona Munday and Polly Cadman are OU Careers and Employability Consultants. They help students navigate their futures, explore the pathways to different careers, work out their life goals and build the confidence and skills to achieve them – through one-to-one careers consultations and by designing career learning events and self-service resources for the OU. Explore the rest of the Careers Stories page for more articles from the Careers and Employability Services team.