Current Penn students and alumni are invited to open free CareerShift accounts! CareerShift was created to help job seekers …
Strategies for successful networking
Step 1: What are your networking goals? What information are you seeking? What are your questions?
Step 2: Identify who the best people might be to support your goals or answer your questions
Step 3: Take advantage of alumni networks and tools like LinkedIn to reach out and connect
Step 4: Build effective relationships by having conversations that are professional and authentic
Step 5: Keep the conversations going, and use what you learn in your job search next steps
The art of informational interviewing
Informational interviews are 1-on-1 conversations that you have with professionals, often Penn alumni, to gather information about career paths and industries, emerging and future trends in their fields, and the skills they’ve used to be successful. These interactions are great ways to explore diverse careers, and can give you actionable insights into what you can do to make you a better candidate for future applications. Find out more here
How to cultivate networking relationships over time
This guide offers tips and strategies for how to build stronger long-term professional relationships so that you can cultivate a strong network of contacts.
How to leverage Penn alumni on LinkedIn
Are you looking for some easy-to-use tips to enhance your LinkedIn experience as you grow your professional network, explore careers, and learn about different job functions and employers? If you have a LinkedIn profile, but don’t always know the best way to take advantage of this tool to research your career options and find connections in the vast Penn alumni network, then explore some action steps you can take. Schedule an appointment with a career advisor to get feedback on your profile, and follow these quick tips to improve your networking strategy and meet more of your networking goals.
Networking with Penn alumni
MyPenn provides a searchable database of Penn alumni that can be filtered by degree, School, major, employer, location, and areas of student interest. To narrow your search to alumni who have expressed a willingness to answer your career-related questions, click on the “Directory” tab, and select “Available for mentorship” from the filters on the left. This resource is a great starting point for your informational interview outreach.
Network with CareerShift
CareerShift provides users with a structured and strategic way to find and network with contacts across career fields, industries, and employers. CareerShift’s one-stop-shop platform allows students and alumni to search, store, and organize their job and internship searches and networking contacts instantly. CareerShift helps job candidates keep day-to-day communications organized by scheduling email reminders for job follow-ups, interviews, and phone calls.
