Demystifying Networking for International Students

How to build your network to set yourself up for long-term success

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I’m sharing everything I have learnt about networking in the last 3 years and lessons learnt from building my network in the US. I hope this post sheds some light on networking and leaves you with some actionable insights!

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NYU’s graduation ceremony at the Barclays Center 22’ 🎓

Hearing the word networking used to make me cringe when I came to the US 🤐

Everyone told me it is important, I needed to do it. No one told me why exactly or how to do it!

Having a network and networking are two different things. Sounds weird right? Let me explain.

Having a strong network is about building meaningful relationships. Building and maintaining relationships takes time and energy. These are more long-term bets.

Networking is a process by which we get introduced to new people. It is a way to start building a relationship but it’s the beginning. Eg) Think about networking events

From cringing at hearing the word networking to loving the idea of meeting new people. I attribute this to a mindset change.

The goal is always to build strong relationships, learn from people and add value whenever possible!

Things changed when I started looking at networking from the lens above rather than just trying to network with people for the sake of it.

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t - Bill Nye

My friend Rajas, in our podcast, summed up the essence of networking -

Networking in the best case can get you to places, in the worst case can quench your curiosity

The best way to build and maintain a relationship is to try to add value whenever possible. It’s about what you can do for the other person.

In the context of job search, I know it might feel weird to try to add value when you are the person who needs something!

That is why the best time to build your network is before you need it. This way you can just focus on learning from people you meet and not make it transactional.

The least you can do when reaching out to people while looking for a job is -

• Be specific about why are you reaching out to them.

• How exactly can they help you?

• Be considerate of their time

• Ask thoughtful questions which you cannot google easily

If you keep these points in mind, you would already have a headstart!

I am not going to share any stats about how networking can help you get a job quicker. Rather, on the contrary, I would say it is 100% possible to get a job in the US without having to network at all.

Why is it still necessary for international students to build their network?

Think of it as a safety net, you learn from whoever you meet, you try to add value whenever possible, and always have people to rely on if (when) you need them!

Hunting for a job or internship at that moment can feel like this is the only thing that matters. Remember that you will be looking for another internship or a job later.

You might have some pressing career-related questions or god forbid you get laid off. That’s exactly when already having built a network will pay off!

Learn to network and network to learn

Now that I have hopefully convinced you of why it is in your best interest to invest your time and effort into building your network.

Let’s talk about how you can do it more effectively:

1. Networking can happen anywhere

   1. Don’t think that you need to be in a designated ‘Networking event’ to meet people

   2. I’ve met incredible people on Twitter, Linkedin, and just randomly at events that I consider close friends / mentors now

2. Make it personalized

   1. If you are trying to reach out to people on Linkedin

      1. Please take 1 minute of your time and send a personalized invite

      2. Briefly mention

         1. Why you are reaching out and how can someone help you exactly?

      3. Putting this small effort upfront will have great payouts

      An ounce of personalization is worth an once of persuasion - Robert Cialdini

3. Make it as easy as you can for someone to say yes

   • What exactly are you asking from someone? Please be specific.

     1. Examples of a bad ask -

        1. Hey, can you help me? ❌

        2. Are there any open roles at your company? ❌

        3. How can YOU help me? ❌

           1. I’ve gotten all three of them 😅

   • Commitment and consistency effect

     1. People who have agreed to help you once are more likely to help you out in the future than someone who you don’t know at all

     2. So make it as easy as you can for someone to say yes to the initial ask

4. Similarity principle -

   1. Let’s be honest - We like to talk to and help people who are similar to us

      1. It could be people who went to the same college, school or belong to the same country or city

      2. If you are reaching out to someone on Linkedin and notice any similarity

         1. Definitely mention it while reaching out to them

         2. This will drastically, improve your chances of hearing back

         3. This is the personalized invite I sent which got me my first job

      Hello X,
      
      I'm a Master's CS student at NYU, Go Violets!
      
      I have a solid foundation working in [Product Management & Full Stack dev]
      
      While on Linkedin, I saw that MediaMath is hiring for X position, I would love to connect and learn more about the role.
      
      Best,
      Shaurya

   1. Go Violets is an NYU slogan and I used it as I was reaching out to an alum

   2. There is a feature on Linkedin which shows how many people from your university work at a company. It’s there for a reason, use it! 🎓

      

5. Having coffee chats (Going to do a deep dive on it some other time) ☕️

   1. If you saw an open position at the company, it’s nice to connect with people from the company who work in the same functional department

   2. Having coffee chats / informational interviews is particularly important for aspiring PMs. Why?

      1. Different companies value different skills in their PMs.

         1. Some prefer technical PMs (Google) others might want more business focused PMs (Amazon)

         2. Having coffee chats will give you a better understanding about the need for the role and general archetype they are looking for

         3. You can learn from them about how they went about to get an interview and land up at their current role

            • After giving over 60 rounds of PM interviews with 30 companies:

            • I’ve realized PM interviews are not standardized, just as the PM role

            • Getting any insight into the hiring process will give you an edge

      2. In the end, you can ask people what’s the best way to get an interview

      3. In my experience, if you showcase you have enough interest in the role and ask thoughtful questions, people offer to refer you themselves!

      4. Think of it this way: Employees get $ for a successful referral to hire

         1. People are incentivized to help you out IF you showcase you can be a good fit for the role and a cultural fit for the company

         2. So make sure to do your homework about the company and the person who you are having a chat with

         3. The example of reach out that I sent to an NYU alum that I attached above was supposed to be a informal coffee chat

            1. I had prepared questions about the company, the role, AdTech related questions etc

            2. I ended up with directly going to virtual onsite interviews and a technical assessment which lead to an offer

            3. Without having to even submit an online application

               The best case scenario, you get a job. The worst case scenario, you add someone to your network and learn something new

6. Assume positive intent

   1. Give people the benefit of the doubt when you are reaching out to them

   2. Not everyone is ignoring you on purpose (though it often feels like it), people are usually busy and are not very active on Linkedin

   3. I’ve seen great results with simply following up within a week, sometimes messages just slip between the cracks

   4. If you have done everything you can to improve your chances of getting a response and still haven’t heard back

      1. Remember, it’s a numbers game in the end

   5. The people who do respond will make it worth your while, I promise.

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To sum it up -

1. The goal is to build a strong network, a few ways to achieve this:

   1. Emphasis on cultivating meaningful relationships

   2. Learning something new from everyone you meet

   3. Trying to add value whenever you can

2. Best time to network is before you need it

   1. Start early!

   2. Dig your well before you’re thirsty

   3. As an international student, having a strong network is your safety net

3. When reaching out to people

   1. Be clear, specific and concise in why are you reaching out?

   2. How can they help you?

   3. What is the call to action?

      1. Do you want your resume reviewed? have a chat? get a referral?

4. Assume positive intent

Enough number of people want to help you, can you give them enough reasons to?

Once you start building your network, you’ll realize that maintaining your network is the tougher part! More on that some other time!

I hope this sheds some light on why building your network is important and some tactical steps to get you started!

If you’ve made it this far, you’re awesome! 🙌🏻

If you have any feedback, suggestions or topics you would like me to cover next, I would love to hear from you.

You can find me on Linkedin/Twitter. I’ll see you next week! Thanks for reading!

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