10 good reasons to develop your network

1. Get in touch with the market and the business world
2. Hone your career plan
3. Explore different options or ideas
4. Get into a dynamic of meeting people
5. Practice talking about yourself, your experience and your goals
6. Identify recruitment needs before everyone else
7. Leverage word of mouth: professionals in a given industry often look for new staff through contacts before talking to HR
8. Make yourself known and shape a need according to what you have to offer
9. Contact the decision-makers and line managers liable to hire you
10. Invest in the future: you will make yourself known during your job search and build a network that will be useful once you’re on the job (you may have met people from rival companies, for example)

Prepare your strategy

1-Target your contacts: 

List all the contacts who might help you, according to your objectives. Organise your address book and do not forget to save your contacts as you meet them

• Family and friends of the family
• Neighbours, tradespeople, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers and notaries met at various stages of your life or through your family
• Teachers and faculty
• Former internship supervisors and employers
• Non-profit organisations you have been involved in (student associations at Sciences Po, professional groups, political groups, etc.)
• Professionals you have met at fairs, alumni contacts, etc.

2-How to approach your contacts ?

• It’s always better if you can mention the name of a mutual acquaintance (“Maria Johnson suggested I contact you...”)
• Opt for a phone call rather than an email
• However, you might like to send an email beforehand to let the person know you’re going to call
• Rehearse with someone you trust
• Prepare your questions carefully according to your objectives

Network, network, network!

Online : 

• LinkedIn is the biggest social network in the world and has become a vital part of any job or internship search. Use the search tool to identify people who may help you, and contact them asking for help or information. Never ask them upfront for a job or an internship; you will be blacklisted immediately. 

• Keep in contact: posting content and liking and sharing your contacts’ content are good ways to stay visible in your network. 
• Participate in groups and follow influencers: you will increase your visibility as you highlight your interest in the topic

Offline :

• Attend all the events (conferences, company presentations, fairs, round-table discussions) organised at Sciences Po 
• Talk to your instructors,
• Meet professionals, etc.

Any meetings, informal as well as formal, are a source of information and inspiration for developing your career goals and may help create internship and job opportunities. They can crop up while you’re doing your job survey. 

So don’t forget to talk to the person sitting next to you at your next conference—he or she could be your future employer! 

further information

• Contact an alumnus : use the Alumni directory
• Download the presentation "Networking" used during the Alumni workshop (PDF, 1053 ko) in French.
• Read the guide to Linkedin (in French)

• Attend a networking workshop