Networking
Networking is one of the most effective ways to discover job opportunities—especially those in the hidden job market.
While online job boards can be helpful, many positions are never publicly posted. These roles are often filled through referrals, connections, and word-of-mouth. Building relationships through networking—whether on LinkedIn or at in-person events—can help you uncover these opportunities and make meaningful professional connections along the way.
Networking in person
UC Santa Cruz offers plenty of opportunities to build your network right here on campus.
You can connect with people in your day-to-day environment—like professors, graduate students, and campus staff—or through special events featuring visiting recruiters and alumni. Many of these guests are here specifically to meet and support students, making campus a great place to start meaningful, professional relationships.
Example of networking opportunities
- Reaching out to graduate students or professors to join a research lab
- Employer informational sessions
- Career & internship fairs
- Networking receptions
Elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a 30-60-second speech designed to start a conversation during a networking opportunity. Try not to go beyond a minute, as this is meant to start the conversation, not be the entire conversation.
How to structure your pitch
- Introduce yourself: Share your name, major, year, and university
- Express your interest: Mention your career field or industry
- Share a highlight: Reference one hands-on experience and what you learned
- Connect to the opportunity: Explain why you’re interested
- Make an ask: Pose a thoughtful question to keep the conversation going
How To Engage at the Career Fair Guide
Example of Elevator Pitch
Hello! My name is [your name] and I am [school year] studying [major] at UC Santa Cruz.
I am interested in [industry name].
I had an [internship, job, research, volunteering experience, project, or other hands-on experience] as a [position name] with [employer/organization name] and discovered that I really enjoy [lesson learned].
I want to learn/gain more experience [developing a skill, working in a certain environment, etc.].
Could you tell me more about [opportunity name]?
Informational interviews
Informational interviews are a great way to explore careers, gain insider knowledge, and connect with professionals—especially alumni—working in fields or organizations you’re curious about. These conversations offer valuable insights into industry trends, career paths, and the skills that matter most.
The goal isn’t to ask for a job, but to build a genuine professional connection. As you develop relationships, opportunities and referrals may naturally follow. Focus on learning, listening, and engaging with curiosity.
Preparing for the meeting (~15 minutes per meeting)
Make sure you take some time to research the person you are meeting ahead of time and the company they work for. Use the following Discuss section to help identify questions before your meeting.
Topics to research:
- Current and previous roles that the person has been in (LinkedIn)
- Recent LinkedIn posts or articles about the person
- Review positive headlines on the front page of the company’s website
The discussion (~30 minutes per interview)
Introduction & small talk
Small talk should occur naturally. If not, here are some suggested questions to get you started.
- “How is your day going so far?”
- “What are you working on right now?”
Questions and answers
This is the main part of the conversation, where you will take the lead on asking questions. Below is a structure to organize your questions: start by learning about the industry, move into the person’s expertise, and then ask for resources.
- Feel free to use the following questions to help you get started
- Feel free to customize these or use your own
- If the person has a response that interests you, consider having one follow-up question per initial question.
Trends: “What trend is most impacting your work right now?
Insights: “What’s the best lesson you’ve learned thus far on the job?”
Advice: “If you were me, what would you be doing now to best prepare for a career in the field?”
Resources: “What resources would you recommend for someone in my situation to look into next?”
Next Steps
Be mindful of time and start to wrap up a few minutes before the end of the scheduled time.
- Thank them for their time and resources
- Let them know you will take time to reflect on the resources they shared
- Ask them if you can reach out to them if I have any additional questions
Follow-up
Send a thank you note within 24 hours after the informational meeting.
- If a referral was offered, follow up in two weeks to share progress with resources they shared and the person they referred you to.
- If a referral is not offered, email one week after the initial meeting to ask for a referral.
- If they previously mentioned a resource to explore, look into it and mention it in the email.
- Example: “Thanks again for your time last week. Upon further reflection, this is something I’d like to pursue further. How would you go about doing that if you were me? For example, can you recommend someone I should speak to next?”
Job Referrals
A job referral may be offered after a relationship is developed. It is appropriate to accept a referral from the person you are meeting if they offer it. However, it is not recommended that you ask for a job referral in your first meeting, as this can seem like a transactional action instead of an opportunity to develop a relationship.
Building a LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with more than 950 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that can help you build your online presence, connect with classmates, professors, and alumni, and explore career paths. It acts like a digital resume where you can showcase your education, skills, and experiences—from internships and projects to club involvement and volunteering. LinkedIn also gives you access to job and internship listings, company insights, and professionals in your field, making it a powerful tool for career exploration and job searching. By starting early, you can build a strong network, learn from others’ career journeys, and stand out to recruiters and employers.
LinkedIn Profile
Start by reviewing this 8-minute video below for an overview of creating a LinkedIn profile.
Choose the right profile picture for LinkedIn
- Be the only person in your photo
- Smile and crop around your head and shoulders
- Ask someone to take your photo (Career Success has a photo booth that you can use for free)
Start with an impactful headline
- Keywords of perspective job
- Mirror desired job title
- Does not have to be your current job title if you are looking to transition
Turn your About section into your story
- Include keywords from your desired job position to make it easier for recruiters to find you
- Highlight key accomplishments to make it easier for recruiters to choose you
Add skills and accomplishments to your Experience section
- Use bullet points or sentences from your resume
- Add relevant skills for each experience
Searching for alumni with the LinkedIn Alumni Tool
The LinkedIn Alumni Tool is a feature that lets you explore where graduates from UCSC work, what they studied, what jobs they have now, and where they live. You can use it to discover career paths, find companies that hire people from your school, and even reach out to alumni for advice, mentorship, or informational interviews. It’s a powerful way to network with people who share your educational background and can help you get a foot in the door.
Connect with Banana Slugs!
Go to the UCSC LinkedIn page (this link will take you to the alumni tab)
- Use to explore career paths by seeing jobs and companies of UCSC alumni
- Use to connect with alumni with interesting career paths
- Use to set up informational interviews (coffee chats) with alumni
UCSC Alumni Tool Dashboard
Use the dashboard options to narrow alumni by your career interest. You will see the following options:
- Where they work*
- Where they live
- What they do (industries)
- What are they skilled at
- What they studied (majors)
- How are you connected (degrees of connection between you and the alumni)
*You may notice many alumni who work at “University of California, Santa Cruz” because this tool includes alumni and current students who have at least one experience listed from UCSC (e.g., student employees, interns, researchers, etc.).
Searching for UCSC Alumni
Here are a couple of ideas to consider for narrowing your search:
Are you still trying to select a major or unsure what others with a similar major have done?
- Use the “What they studied” filter and select the major you are considering
- Look at the “What they do” filter to see if you want to narrow down by industry
- See the “Where they work” filter to see alumni from companies of interest
- Scroll down below the dashboard to see the alumni that match and click on their profiles
- Within each profile, you can see their job titles to get ideas for careers
Do you already have ideas of careers or job titles that you are interested in?
- Use the keyword search field to search for your interested career or job title
- See the “Where they work” filter to see alumni from companies of interest
- Scroll down below the dashboard to see the alumni that match and click on their profiles
- Within each profile, you can see their job titles and see their career paths
Networking online with LinkedIn
Connect with alumni to request informational interviews, meetings, or coffee chats. These meetings are opportunities to connect with alumni within the industry or company you are considering for career exploration and to get advice on breaking into that industry. The main focus of these initial meetings should be developing a professional relationship with alumni. This relationship may result in job referrals.
Resources
- See our Connecting with People on LinkedIn Guide to learn how to connect with people on LinkedIn.
- You can use our Message Templates for Networking Online to help you draft custom messages.
Learn how to request an informational interview and make a genuine connection
Access the module in Big Interview
New user to Big Interview? Register and get full access by using your UCSC email address.
