Your Campus Is a Networking Goldmine - Here’s How to Tap In

Networking isn’t just for job seekers - it starts right where you are. In today’s episode, Rebecca Harrington shares information on how to start networking on campus. Information discussed includes practical ways students can build connections through career fairs, student organizations, professors, alumni, and guest speakers, along with tips for starting early, showing curiosity, and following up effectively. But first, Pierre Michiels starts the episode by exploring the NACE competency of career and self-development, emphasizing curiosity, continuous learning, and seeking development opportunities as foundations for meaningful networking. After listening to this episode, we hope you have a better understanding of how to approach networking in a low‑pressure, relationship‑focused way that supports your long‑term career growth. 

Full episode transcript can be found on the episode page. Below is a general timestamp summary.  

00:00–01:30 — Introduction & Episode Overview 
The hosts introduce the Career Ready Podcast and outline the day’s focus on networking on campus, setting the stage for understanding career readiness and essential skills. 

01:30–03:30 — NACE Career & Self‑Development Competency 
Pierre explains the NACE competency of career and self‑development, emphasizing curiosity, continuous learning, seeking feedback, and using relationships to grow professionally. 

03:30–08:00 — Why Networking Matters 
The discussion highlights networking as a relationship‑building process rather than a job hunt. Rebecca explains how early, low‑pressure networking helps students access opportunities and learn from others. 

08:00–12:30 — Networking Through Student Organizations 
The hosts explore how clubs, leadership roles, guest speakers, and staying after events create natural connections that often lead to internships and mentorships. 

12:30–17:00 — Building Relationships with Professors 
Rebecca and Pierre describe professors as powerful networking allies, encouraging students to attend office hours, ask about career paths, and build genuine professional relationships. 

17:00–21:30 — Leveraging Alumni Networks 
They discuss how alumni can offer advice, informational interviews, and industry insights, and how personalized outreach increases the likelihood of meaningful connections. 

21:30–25:00 — Campus Events & Guest Speakers 
The episode wraps by emphasizing guest lectures and workshops as low‑pressure networking moments, with tips on asking questions, introducing yourself, and following up. 

Listeners in the College of DuPage community can visit our website. All other listeners are encouraged to view the resources of their local community college, WIOA training programs, or other local support centers.

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Transcript

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Welcome to the Career Ready podcast. Learn about resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, interviewing, and all the things you need to be career ready with the Career Services Center at College of DuPage. I'm one of your hosts, Rebecca Harrington. Later in today's episode, I'm going to lead the conversation on how to start networking on campus. 

And I'm your other host, Pierre Michiels. I'm going to start our episode today with some information about the NACE competency, career and self‑development.

Our longtime listeners know that we like to highlight the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the competencies they identify as essential for career readiness. These competencies come directly from employers across the country, representing a wide range of industries who share the skills they most want to see in new hires. One of the competencies that consistently rises to the top is career and self‑development.

NACE defines this as proactively developing yourself and your career through continuous learning, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, navigating opportunities, and building relationships inside and outside your organization. In other words, it's about taking ownership of your future and intentionally seeking out ways to grow.

NACE also identifies behaviors that demonstrate this competency. Today, I want to highlight two that complement each other well: displaying curiosity by seeking opportunities to learn, and seeking and embracing development opportunities. Curiosity can show up on the job through asking thoughtful questions or taking trainings that interest you. As a student, it can mean exploring topics outside your major or talking with professionals to gain insight.

Development opportunities include workshops, trainings, being open to feedback, and learning from mentorship and conversations with others. These two behaviors connect deeply—both rely on engaging with people. Your curiosity drives your learning, and through development you gain insight and opportunities from others. That’s why networking is so important. It’s not about collecting business cards; it’s about learning, asking questions, and building relationships.

To help us think more deeply about what networking looks like, I’m going to hand it off to Rebecca.
 Thanks, Pierre. Thanks for exploring why networking is so important. Let’s talk about networking at college. We often think networking means talking to strangers at a party, but it’s much more than that. It’s about building relationships that help you learn, grow, and access opportunities.

Some of the best people to help you do that are professors, alumni, classmates, and guest speakers. Think of networking as planting seeds—start early so connections grow into internships, mentorships, and opportunities. Early networking is less stressful because you're not necessarily seeking a job; you're meeting people naturally.

Employers also appreciate hearing from students and learning what they’re studying. Now let’s talk about ways to network on campus. First, career fairs and your career services department. Your campus career center is a powerful resource. They host career fairs, meet‑and‑greets, and workshops. Even if you're a freshman, attend these events; employers appreciate initiative.

Some tips: research 2–3 companies beforehand, prepare a short introduction, and bring questions. Career fairs aren’t just about jobs; they help you learn what companies value and practice communication. Pierre, any other tips?
 Follow up after the fair. Get contact info, send thank‑you emails, connect on LinkedIn with personalized messages. Employers talk to many students; following up helps you stand out.

Next: student organizations and clubs. Joining clubs is networking without pressure. They host guest speakers and industry events and connect you with peers. Volunteer at events or take leadership roles to increase visibility—especially easy to do at community colleges.

Stay after events to connect with speakers. Many come specifically to meet students. Don’t be afraid to approach them—they want to talk to you.

Next: professors. They’re more than teachers—they have networks. Attend office hours, ask about their career paths, show curiosity. Build relationships before asking for references. These relationships can evolve over time and often lead to opportunities.

Next: alumni networks. Alumni love helping students. Most schools have directories or LinkedIn groups. Attend alumni events—they offer great conversations and potential mentors. When reaching out, keep messages short, respectful, and personal. Mention shared connections, majors, interests, or faculty referrals.

Finally: campus events and guest speakers. These are low‑pressure networking opportunities. Ask a question during Q&A—it gets you noticed and gives you a reason to follow up. Start small: meet one person, get names, connect on LinkedIn, and be curious.

Thanks for breaking this down, Rebecca. And thank you to our listeners. We hope you have a better understanding of the impact and power of networking. There was no listener question today, but you can submit questions to CareerPodcast@cod.edu. Join us next time for more information to help you be career ready.