Friend, supervisor, fellow intern, study abroad staff, professor, language buddy, tour guide, roommate, commute partner, homestay host, barista—just some of the people who may have had an impact on your experience during your time abroad. You may not have realized it, but you were effectively networking that whole time. So why not keep in touch and keep it up?
Networking doesn’t have to mean stiff handshakes and suits and ties; it doesn’t even have to be in person (which makes it easier if you can’t fly back to Sydney for a professional reference…) Check out our guide to keeping and making new connections!
Besides featuring your international experience on your personal profile, it's likely that your study abroad organization has an alumni LinkedIn group—join ASAP! You’ll stay on top of networking events (a perfect chance to meet other professionals) and internship and job opportunities at the study abroad organization itself and its partners. You may even learn tips and tricks for using your international experience in your quest for a job or internship. Plus, you'll have access to and make connections with people who might have similar interests, professionally and otherwise.
The IES Abroad Alumni LinkedIn group is a venue for you to network with study abroad alumni from across IES Abroad locations, class years, and stages in their professional lives. Along the same lines, if you participated in a full-time internship, also request to join the IES Internships group on LinkedIn. Whether you’re looking for your first (or just a new) job or internship or trying to fill a position at your current company, you can post what you’re looking for or share a specific job posting in the group. Because everyone in the group has had this shared experience to a degree, know that you’ll be connecting with culturally-savvy and internationally-minded professionals.
Discover IES Abroad alumni's locations, companies, and industries with the Career Insights tool accessible via the IES Abroad LinkedIn page. You can find others who match your queries, down to the exact job title. Note that, if you’re still in school or a soon-to-be or recent graduate, LinkedIn also has a section for university students in particular.
Don't forget to tailor your InMail (a message to a LinkedIn member who is not your first or second degree connection) to the recipient. Share how and where you’ve met (if at all), what you’re interested in professionally, and what topics or industries you have questions about. You can also propose alternate ways to connect, like a phone call, Skype chat, or informational interview. Remember that connecting on LinkedIn is about quality, not quantity. Acquiring tons of connections on LinkedIn won't earn you any points—if you don’t know your study abroad network well enough to reach out to them in the future, it can be pointless.
How to Build a Network In Person & Beyond
There are a million and one ways and channels through which to network organically! Get started while you're still abroad by:
Maintaining contact with your classmates, instructors, internship supervisor(s), coworkers, and study abroad staff. Even if you're not considering an international career in the long run, you never know when and where your paths may cross.
Thanking those listed above via a follow-up card or email, prior to leaving your host city.
Strengthening the professional relationship by dropping them a line a few times each year. Checking in just when you need something, like an ‘in’ at their organization or a reference, might keep you filed in the 'unread' folder.
For some networking face-to-face with other study abroad alumni, register for an IES Abroad alumni event near you such as a networking night or reunion weekend—both are great opportunities to interact with alumni from your, and other, IES Abroad programs.
Back at home, you should have no problem finding student groups on your campus for people who have studied abroad (or other common interests) and attend networking events in your town.
Working Networking Events in 6 Steps
The question of social networking vs. face to face interaction is moot, since making connections when you're in a room packed with other professionals is easy, right? Wrong! So many (if not most) people get nervous about in-person networking events (and would much rather send off a LinkedIn message). But here are six ways to prepare yourself and helps those nerves subside:
Go over details about the event's speakers or guests in advance so you have talking points if and when meeting with them.
Brush up on neutral current events so you’ll have small talk topics top of mind.
Say a person’s name immediately after you're introduced. Try “Nice to meet you, Samuel!” to not only reinforce their name in your memory, but also make them feel an affinity towards you.
Come with an achievable goal to meet, say, five people. This is helpful to keep you actively networking, especially if you're nervous. Remember though, even if you are set on speaking to certain number of people, if you're having an engaging dialogue with someone, don’t run off just to add a different person to your tally of new connections. At the same time, make sure to strike a balance of meeting several people and cornering one person for the entire time.
Before sharing your own story, ask other people questions. When the time does come to formally introduce yourself, use an elevator pitch as a guide (should take around 30 to 60 seconds), where you briefly mention:
Your first and last name
What you've been doing up until now and currently (work, school, extracurriculars, travel)
What you are interested in doing professionally or academically
What type of advice or assistance you are seeking
Trade contact information or business cards and touch base with any new connections within a week, before they forget who you are or what you discussed. Don't forget to tailor your request if you message them to connect on LinkedIn.
Market Your Study Abroad Toolkit
Our toolkit is here to help you communicate the skills you learned (or refined) abroad.
