How to Network as a Student or Graduate in the UK

If you're a student or recent graduate, you probably think networking is something people do once they have a job, a business card and something to offer. It's the other way round. While you're studying, people will give you their time more readily than they will at almost any other point in your career, because helping a student costs them little and feels good. This guide covers how to network as a student or graduate in the UK, from the contacts you already have to messaging strangers, careers fairs, and what to do if you've left university without much of a network at all.

Why networking at university is easier than it looks

"I'm a second-year at Sheffield studying economics, and I'd love to hear how you got into energy policy" is about the easiest request a professional can say yes to. You're not selling anything. You're not after their job. You're asking them to talk about themselves for 15 minutes, and most people enjoy that.

You also have a whole university of people whose job is to help you, and a network of graduates who sat in the same lecture theatres. Once you graduate, that ready-made access gets harder to use. So the best time to start is now, even if you're in first year and have no idea what you want to do.

Start with the people you already know

You have more of a network than you think. It's just not labelled as one yet. Before you message a single stranger, write down everyone you already know who works, or knows people who work, in something remotely interesting to you.

• Lecturers and tutors, especially those who've worked in industry or run research with outside partners.
• Your university careers service, which knows which employers recruit from your course and often runs mentoring schemes.
• Managers and colleagues from part-time jobs, internships and summer work.
• Family friends, friends' parents and older siblings of friends.
• Students in the years above you, who were doing applications twelve months ago and remember what worked.

Then ask them something specific. "Do you know anyone who works in publishing?" gets a far better answer than "Let me know if you hear of anything." Most people would happily introduce you to someone if you make it easy for them.

How to use your university's alumni network

Alumni are the warmest strangers you'll ever contact. You share something real with them, and lots of graduates like hearing from students at their old university.

There are two good ways in. First, your university's alumni office or careers service. Many run mentoring programmes, alumni panels or online platforms where graduates have signed up to help students, so check what yours offers. Second, LinkedIn. Go to your university's page and open the Alumni tab, where you can filter graduates by where they work, what they do and where they live. Searching "History graduates working in the Civil Service" is a ten-minute job.

Pick five or six people a couple of years ahead of you, rather than the most senior person you can find. Someone who graduated three years ago remembers exactly how they got their first job, and they're more likely to reply.

How to message a professional as a student

This is the step most students never take, and it's the one that pays off most. A short, specific message to someone doing a job you're curious about will get a reply far more often than you'd expect. Here's a template you can adapt.

It works because it covers who you are, why them in particular, and a small, clear ask with an easy way to say yes. Notice what it leaves out. It doesn't ask for a job or a referral, and it doesn't attach a CV. Those can come later, once they know you.

When you get the call, have three or four questions ready, keep to time, and end by asking "Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?" That one question can turn a single contact into three.

Join a society and get on the committee

Societies are one of the most underused networking tools at university. Join one connected to the work you're interested in, whether that's the finance society, the law society, a business or enterprise society, or something niche like the space society.

Then go one step further and help run it. Being the events officer means you have a legitimate reason to email professionals and invite them to speak. "I'm organising a careers evening for the Engineering Society and wondered if you'd be willing to talk about your path into renewables" is a message almost anyone will read. You get to meet them, host them, and thank them afterwards, which is a far better start than a cold LinkedIn request.

Careers fairs and employer events

Careers fairs feel like a queue of tote bags and free pens, but they're one of the few times recruiters stand in a room waiting for students to come and talk to them. A bit of preparation puts you ahead of most people there.

Before you go, look at the list of exhibitors and pick three or four you care about. Read their graduate pages so you don't ask questions their website already answers. At the stand, introduce yourself in one sentence, say what interests you about them, and ask something real.

Get a name and an email before you leave, and send a short thank-you within a couple of days. If walking up to strangers fills you with dread, our guide on what to say at a networking event has openers and exit lines that work just as well at a careers fair.

Spring weeks, insight days and internships are networking events in disguise. Talk to the other interns, the graduates running the sessions and the people you sit near. Ask for coffee before you leave, and keep in touch afterwards.

Networking for graduates in the UK after you leave

If you've graduated without much of a network, you haven't missed your chance. Plenty of people start properly after university, once they know a bit more about what they want.

First, check what your university still offers you. Many careers services support graduates for a while after they leave, and alumni networks are yours for life. Then find where people in your field meet. Tech has meetups in most UK cities, the creative industries have portfolio nights and talks, and most professional bodies offer discounted student or graduate membership with events attached. Local chambers of commerce and business breakfasts are good if you're interested in small businesses or starting one.

If you're already in a graduate job, your intake is your network. The people starting alongside you will be spread across your industry in five years. Get to know them now, along with the people a year or two above you.

Sort out your LinkedIn profile

When you message someone, the first thing they'll do is look you up. You don't need a long profile, just a clear one. Use a recent photo, and write a headline that says what you're studying and what you're interested in, such as "Economics student at Exeter, interested in climate finance." Add any work, volunteering or society roles, and a few lines in the About section in your own words. That's enough for someone to see you're real and say yes.

Follow up and keep in touch

After any call, chat or event, send a short thank-you the same day or the next. Mention one thing they said that was useful. A few months later, tell them what happened: "I took your advice and applied for the Civil Service Fast Stream, and I've got through to the assessment centre." People love hearing that their advice helped, and it keeps you on their radar for the next opportunity. For ready-made messages, see our guide on how to follow up after a networking event. If you want the longer view, building a professional network from scratch covers what to do once you've got a few contacts.

When you don't know who to ask

The hardest part for most students is working out who to approach at all. You know you want "something in marketing" or "a job where I use my maths", but you don't know which person would actually help.

That's the gap Linktwos is built for. It's a matchmaker you text. You tell it who would help you, say a graduate who went from history into tech or someone who joined a law firm without a law degree, and it introduces you to one well-matched person at a time, with a reason to meet. At events, attendees check in and get matched with the right people in the room. It's free to start, and your first match is on us.

Common questions about networking as a student or graduate

How do I start networking as a student with no contacts?

Start with your university: the careers service, your lecturers and your alumni network. Join one society that connects to the work you want, go to its events, and send one well-written message a week to an alumnus doing a job you're curious about.

How do I message someone on LinkedIn as a student?

Say who you are, how you found them, one specific reason you're writing to them, and ask for something small, such as 15 minutes on a call. Keep it to a few lines and don't ask for a job.

Is it too late to network after I've graduated?

No. Many universities let graduates keep using their careers service and alumni network for a while after they leave, so check with yours. Graduate schemes, meetups and professional bodies are all good places to start.

What should I say to employers at a careers fair?

Introduce yourself in a sentence, say what interests you about their organisation, and ask something you couldn't find on their website, such as what the first year in the role is like. Ask for the name of someone to follow up with.

Do I need a LinkedIn profile as a student?

It helps. Recruiters and alumni will look you up, and a clear headline, a photo and a few lines about what you're studying and what you're interested in make it easy for them to say yes when you get in touch.