Building a Local Network in Your Field

Dear law students, network now, often and never stop. What kind of networking did I do while in law school?” The honest answer? Not nearly enough. If I could go back, here’s what I wish I had done (and what I recommend to every law student now): Join and show up to local bar association events (even as a student member—they want to meet you!). Attend Kiwanis, Rotary, Toastmasters and Chamber of Commerce meetings—because these are the people who refer cases and shape your community. Volunteer for legal clinics, expunction fairs, and pro bono events. Ask practicing attorneys for coffee—not for a job, just to learn their story. Keep in touch with classmates in other areas of law or different cities. Say yes to invitations, even when I felt out of place or “not ready”. Join Facebook groups, local legal Listservs, or online forums where lawyers help each other. Follow up after networking events—not just meet people, but stay connected. Treat every class, internship, and job like a long-term relationship—not just a grade or a paycheck. I used to think networking was something you start after you pass the bar. But the truth is: networking starts the day you decide to go to law school. To any current law student reading this: You don’t have to wait until you feel confident. Just show up. Ask questions. Take interest in others. That’s how real networking begins. If you’re a practicing attorney, what’s something you wish you’d done earlier in your career?

“Networking is awkward.” You know what’s more awkward? Graduating in May 2025 and applying to 127 jobs with… zero callbacks. Let’s fix that with networking ideas no one’s talking about. and I mean actionable.. 1. “Reverse Research” Your Way Into a Conversation Instead of asking people what they do, show them what you know about what they’ve done. How to do it: Find someone on LinkedIn in your target company/role Read their posts, podcasts, or panels they’ve been on Then send this message: “Hi [Name], I came across your [talk/article/post] on [topic]—your point about [insight] made me think differently. I’m researching [industry], and would love to hear your take on [specific follow-up]. Would it be okay to connect?” That’s conversation built on respect. 2. Book Club for Industry Geeks Start a virtual book or podcast club for your industry. Invite professionals to speak at the end of each cycle. How to do it: Pick 3 peers + 1 book or podcast Create a simple calendar (4 weeks = 4 touchpoints) End with a “Wrap-Up” Zoom chat—invite a guest Post your takeaways on LinkedIn and tag them Because learning together? Is the strongest way to network. 3. Write A “Public Thank You” Post on LinkedIn You probably learned something cool from someone recently. Now imagine you posted it publicly, gave them a shoutout, and showed how you applied it. How to do it: Tag the person Share what they taught you Share what you did next Ask your network, “What’s something YOU learned from someone this month?” You just gave free visibility, created a loop, and 10 people will want to talk to you after. 4. Turn Informational Chats into Co-Creation Networking chats often stop at “thanks for the time.” What if it didn’t? What to do: After the call, send a note: “Hey [Name], based on our chat about [topic], I drafted a small idea to build on your advice. Would love your thoughts!” Create a graphic, short write-up, or project plan (just 1 page!) Now you’re not just a student. You’re someone they collaborated with. That’s relationship-building, not just networking. 5. The 5-5-5 Strategy Most people get stuck on who to reach out to. Here’s a weekly formula: 5 People You Admire (Founders, creatives) 5 People From Your School Network (Alums, professors, guest speakers) 5 Peers Who Are Also Job Hunting (Build a support circle, swap leads) Message all 15. Repeat weekly. That’s 156 conversations in 3 months. You don’t “find” jobs—you build the path to them. Reminder: Networking isn’t about who has the fanciest title. It’s about who remembers you when an opportunity comes up. Be the person who listened, learned, shared, and followed up. If you’re reading this and job searching— try one new method this week. Not next month. Not when it feels “less scary.” Now. You’re not late. #May2025Grads #NetworkingTips #CreativeCareerMoves #JobSearchStrategy #InternationalStudents #GradJobHunt #BeyondTheResume #HumanConnection #Topmate

Networking is one of the best ways to learn about unadvertised jobs in biotech. But how do you network? What are you supposed to say? This is one of the most common questions I get from scientists, so let's dive into it. ---------- First, don't just start asking people for informational interviews because someone told you to do it. Instead, identify who you want to connect with and build a relationship with them.  To do that, use the steps below ---------- 𝟭) 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 Perform a LinkedIn search using keywords associated with skills you have Example -you are a scientist -you know IHC -you know flow cytometry -you know CRISPR Search: "scientist"" AND ("ihc" OR "cytometry" OR "crispr" OR "molecular biology") Select the jobs filter. Click on each job description and read through If you meet 80% of the criteria, you might be a good fit for this role. Make a list of roles you could be a good fit for. Write down the name of company & location of role. Do this for at least 20 roles (100 is better) 𝟮) 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 As you start making your list of roles you will see patterns in companies that come up. Identify the top 5 companies that keep coming up 𝟯) 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝟭 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝟮 Connect with people who are in the role you think you want, as well as those that are one level above the role and one or two levels below the role. Example: For Sr. scientist, one level above could be Staff sci, and one level below could be Sci 2 Add 5-10 connections per company per week, each with personalized notes in your invitation request. 𝟰) 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 Get to know the person you connected with. Don't try to sell them on you. Don't ask them to mentor you. Don't ask to pick their brain. Don't ask for an "informational interview." Don't ask them about their journey. Just explain to them that you're interested in working within their business unit and you'd appreciate any information they could provide to support that. 𝟱) 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 If the relationship organically goes toward the direction where you'd like to get to know the person even better, ask if they'd be willing to get on a call sometime to chat. When you chat with them - don't tell them your life story, don't talk endlessly about your research, and don't try to sell them on anything. Just get to know them, be honest about where you are in your career, what you want for yourself, and if they offer to help have a clear ask for them. Things you can ask for if they offer help -referrals -connections with others -periodic check ins to see if anything new opened up That's it. It's that simple. Try the steps above and see if they help you get to where you want to be. #biotech, #biotechjobs, #scientist