Building a professional network is one of the most valuable things you can do before, during, and after a job search, but many PhDs and postdocs wonder how to make that networking feel genuine, rather than transactional. In this workshop, we will share advice on approaches to build real connections with people whose work you find interesting, whether inside academia or far beyond it. We will cover best practices for finding people, crafting outreach messages that get responses, and having enjoyable, informative conversations as part of your informational interviews.
We’ll also cover how to use AI tools to come up with questions, and even personalize outreach, without losing the curiosity and authenticity that make people actually want to respond.
Takeaways from this workshop include:Â
- Understanding what makes networking feel authentic rather than transactional, and how to apply those principles across academic and nonacademic contexts.
- Learning practical strategies for finding people whose work interests you, writing outreach messages that get responses, and having engaging informational interviews.
- Developing approaches to using AI tools to brainstorm questions and personalize outreach while still sounding like yourself.
