Clever Ways for College Students to Develop Their Networks among Peers

As college students, most of us are accustomed to meeting new people each semester. With a few exceptions, college students usually end up spending each semester with a mostly unfamiliar group of students. In most circumstances, the extent of the relationships shared by many of these students includes collaborating on dreaded group projects or studying for an equally dreaded final test.

Usually, once that class is complete, the four month long affiliation between many of those classmates reduces to a head nod of acknowledgment as they past one another on campus until they finally graduate.

I’ve mapped out the typical evolution of classmate relationships over a semester because I think our lack of regard for our fellow classmates allows us to waste valuable opportunity. The college setting is the perfect environment to build a strong professional network among peers. As proactive public relations students, we look for conferences and other forums organized by professionals in our field to do networking. Our campuses and classrooms provide ideal circumstances for exiting college with strong relationships and contacts, yet we often overlook them. Below are a few ways college students can develop their peer networks before even graduating.

Exchange Business Cards

If you’re anything like me, you have purchased 250 or more business cards for a conference or networking event you attended and have barely put a dent in them. The beginning of the semester, complete with a fresh set of future colleagues, is the perfect opportunity for you to put those business cards to use. Let’s face it—not every classmate is going to become a close friend but many can become contacts. Exchanging business cards with a fellow classmate could make them want to develop a professional relationship with you.

Inquire About Internship Experiences and Relevant Opportunities

We attend colleges and universities with thousands of students who filter into the city and partake in unique opportunities that relate to our field. We can gain a lot from simply engaging in conversation with the person who sits next to us about what they’ve been able to learn in their past experiences. You never know! Your classmate could help you learn about relevant opportunities that you never previously considered pursuing. Simply engaging in conversation with a colleague can be an enriching exchange that encourages you to seek greater opportunities. Furthermore, sharing about hobbies and personal projects can help us better connect with our peers and even develop relationships that double as professional contacts and new friends.

Ask for Referrals to Past Professional Experiences

Once I apply to an internship or job opportunity, I usually file through my contacts to identify if I know someone who is already a part of that organization that may be able to help me get in. We all know that who you know can often be more valuable than what you know. Many college students may not have extensive connections with public relations professionals, but more often than not, a peer of ours has some affiliation with a professional that we wish to know. If we develop our peer network, we can utilize their professional network to gain new relationships and great opportunities. Personally, my past three public relations opportunities were landed largely because I was referred by a fellow student.

Join Professional Organizations Together

Professional organizations like PPRA or PRSA can provide invaluable opportunities to network or meet industry professionals, but it can be very intimidating for college students to immerse themselves in environments completely populated by people who already have well established careers. If students develop their peer networks, they can accompany one another in emerging into these professional organizations.

Don’t allow the opportunity to develop a strong professional network pass by you. Get rid of those unused business cards, spark up a few conversations, and finish up undergrad with numerous contacts and a strong network.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Jameeda Rucker. 

What's Alumni Got To Do With It?

Many of us undergraduates do not see how alumni pertain to us during our undergraduate studies. In our minds, alumni are the people we will become once we finally receive our degrees; until then, we see no relationship between ourselves and the alumni of our respective schools. Unfortunately, for many of us, alumni fall into a large category of other underutilized resources provided by our tuitions.

I think it’s safe to assume that the majority of us undergraduates endeavor to land jobs once we finally graduate pass the college student stage of our lives. I think it’s also safe to assume that most of us have heard that “it’s not what you know, but who you know” when it comes to gaining positions we want. Based off of these assumptions, alumni of our universities are people we really want to know. In case you still do not understand why you should start connecting to your university’s alumni, below is a list of four benefits of doing so:

Alumni are potential mentors.

Connecting with alumni allows you to find great mentors. Young alumni are great resources, as they can relate to your stage in life and also provide you with professional insight and guidance for the stage that you’ll soon enter. Connecting with older alumni is your key to having a link to the higher positions in the companies you may want to join.

Many alumni are doing the hiring (or recommending) of candidates for internship programs.

Many entry level positions that are often held by young alumni include the responsibility of hiring applicants for internship programs or even recommending people for employment opportunities. This makes alumni the perfect people to help you figure out how to land your dream internship positions or even to hire you full-time!

Alumni in different cities can help you attain out-of-state opportunities.

Universities are filled with students from all over the country and the world. Often, alumni of a university form alumni chapters even in places other than the location of the school they attended. Developing connections with alumni in other states can help you learn about and land positions in places far from your school.

You’ll be a stand out!

Attending alumni events and networking as an undergraduate would really make you stand out, because so few undergraduates take advantage of the alumni network before they graduate—and it this case, standing out is exactly what you want to do. If you get involved with the alumni, they will be even more inclined to develop mentor relationships with you or recommend you for positions that open.

How can you connect with Alumni?

Alumni have many fun events around the city near their alma mater and even on the campus. For Temple University students, Alumni weekend is April 24-25 this year and it is full of fun opportunities to make connections. You can learn more about Alumni events at www.alumni.temple.edu or follow social media accounts like Temple Alumni. There are social media accounts for various sects of Temple alumni, including alumni in cities like New York, D. C., and Los Angeles. There are separate accounts for young alumni, LGBTQ, and various other demographics. The opportunities are plentiful and they have everything to do with you!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Jameeda Rucker.